Bitter Virgin
by angel-eyes8611
Summary: Uzumaki Naruto is a ladies man of his small town high school and has his eye on almost every girl, except for one. Hyūga Hinata isn't his type, but when he overhears a dark secret of hers, he finds himself thinking of her more and more. Drama, psychological, romance, school life, tragedy. Dark-fic. M for language and mention of rape. NaruHina. Based off the manga "Bitter Virgin".
1. Her Confession

**~*Chapter One: Her Confession*~**

_I hate them... I fear them... I detest them... When it comes to men..._

* * *

When the last bell rang, alerting students and teachers alike that the school day was now officially over, Uzumaki Naruto all but jumped out of his seat. Running a hand through his sunny blonde locks, he slung his school bag over his shoulder and prepared to leave. As he made his way to the door he did not miss the promiscuous gazes from some of his female classmates, but he didn't bother returning them like he normally might. Sauntering nonchalantly to the door prepared to escape, Naruto was just about to leave when he was caught.

"Naruto-kun, let's go out to karaoke!" bubbled a voluptuous girl with platinum hair styled to perfection, her baby blue eyes blinking underneath the caked on, heavy eye make up. She winked at him flirtatiously and wiggled her fingers at him in a wave, her painted, acrylic nails gleaming. Before he could utter an excuse, he was interrupted.

"Don't even think about it, Naruto! You have cleaning duties today!" snapped a scowling, pink-haired girl with bright emerald eyes, one hand propped on her hip and the other pointed at him accusingly. Naruto's shoulders slumped; it seemed he wasn't going anywhere today.

"Sorry, Ino," he grinned sheepishly, pretending to be apologetic. The blonde girl pouted in a way that Naruto assumed she thought was cute, but she easily forgave him. They always did.

Sakura merely nodded in approval since he wasn't shirking his duties for once before leaving to start her own.

"Tough break," said a boy with spiky brown hair. Naruto sighed and slumped back down in his desk, the other boy sliding in the seat next to him.

"Better escape while you can, Kiba, before Sakura puts you to work too."

"Heh, I don't think I'd mind that. She's pretty hot, so I might actually enjoy being ordered around by her..." the boy chuckled. Naruto rolled his eyes, a smirk in place.

"So which one would you pick?"

"Eh? What do you mean?" Naruto frowned in confusion, scratching the back of his head absentmindedly.

"The flashy cheerleader Yamanaka Ino, or the assertive class president Haruno Sakura?"

"Hm... Neither."

"What?! They're the two hottest girls in the school, and you choose neither?" Kiba exclaimed dubiously.

"Well, they are pretty attractive... I guess the only girl I'd really pass on is that Hyūga Hinata." Naruto and Kiba glanced over to the other side of the room where the girl was standing, facing the open window. A breeze swept through, rustling the long indigo tresses of her hair. Her pearl-colored eyes never strayed from the scenery outside, seemingly oblivious to the two boys observing her.

"You don't think she's cute?" Kiba asked with slight surprise.

"I don't like those types that pretend to be sweet virgins," Naruto explained with an air of general disdain. "I thought I'd give her a thrill one day by touching her hair, but she flinched back and fainted without warning."

"Oh yeah, she seems to do that with people in general."

"Really?" his question went unanswered when their attention was diverted.

"Hinata-san, would you please erase the chalk board?" asked the teacher, who stood at his desk sorting papers. At the sound of her name the girl turned, walking timidly up to the front of the class.

"Yes, Kakashi-sensei." Grabbing the eraser in one hand, she proceeded to erase the chalk marks that marred the board. Standing up on the tips of her toes, Hinata still couldn't reach the very top to erase. Seeing her trouble, Kakashi came up next to her.

"Here, let me help," the silver-haired man offered, leaning close to her. When his side brushed against hers and their hands came in contact from Kakashi taking the eraser from her grip, the girl gasped and flinched back forcefully. Hinata's face paled, her entire body breaking out in a cold sweat, and her vision blurred before she fainted.

"Hinata-san?" Kakashi asked nervously as her knees buckled underneath her before falling to the ground in a heap. Another girl (one of Hinata's few friends, Naruto could only guess), quickly ran to her side and checked on her.

"She's okay, just fatigued. She'll wake up soon." the twin-bunned brunette reported, gently shaking the unconscious girl to wake her up. Hinata blinked groggily before pushing herself up off the ground to stand as she profusely apologized to the teacher.

"Wow, you're right... How did I not notice that before?" Naruto grumbled.

"Well, it's not like you're the sharpest tool in the shed, Naruto..." Kiba grinned, and the blonde flipped him off with an offended scowl. Kiba only laughed harder.

"Will the people on cleaning duty today meet at my desk please?" Kakashi drawled boringly, as if this was the last place he'd rather be. A handful of students, including Naruto, stood to do their teacher's bidding.

"Hey Ino, aren't you on duty today as well?" Sakura asked, but the blonde was too busy touching up her make up to fully notice.

"Am I?" she murmured halfheartedly, applying a generous amount of pink gloss onto her lips before rubbing them together. She blew a kiss at the reflection in her compact mirror before snapping it shut with satisfaction, and Sakura rolled her eyes with a sigh.

* * *

Naruto meandered down the hallway with his arms crossed behind his head, now that his duties were done. It wasn't that cleaning duties were difficult, he had just wanted to make it home early so that he could start training. It was his dream to become a mixed martial arts fighter, to get out of the small town of Konoha and hit the big time in a big city. But it seemed fate had other plans that day for him, and so he found himself stuck at school.

He turned the corner to come face to face with a walking stack of papers- or at least that's what it looked like to him. As he walked by he realized it was none other than Hyūga Hinata, who was struggling to carry all the papers herself without stumbling.

"Here, give them to me," Naruto offered, reaching his arms out to take the load. Hinata's eyes widened and she slowly backed away, noticing that they were the only ones in the hallway. Naruto frowned in irritation and stepped closer until her back hit the wall. At the closer proximity he could see her breathing was shallow, and she trembled violently. Her wide, pearl-colored eyes shone with...

_Fear._ It was as if she had desperately resolved herself to something, her body rigid as if to spring at any moment.

"Fine... Do it all yourself." Naruto grumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets to walk away.

"I-I'm sorry..." she whispered quietly, but he didn't hear.

* * *

"Hey, what are you still doing here?" Kiba asked curiously, catching up with Naruto. "I thought you'd be off by now to go train."

"I was just about to leave when I bumped into that Hinata girl." he mumbled, still bothered by what had happened.

"Still think she's a pass?"

"Definitely. Besides, there are already plenty of other girls who I can mess around with."

"Ha, that's true." Kiba chuckled, gathering his things to go home. Naruto once again slung his bag over his shoulder, walking out the door with his friend trailing behind him.

"Hey, I'll see you tomorrow." The brunette waved goodbye before turning down the opposite street.

"Bye," Naruto said shortly. Walking to the parking lot, he mounted his bike before taking off. Passing the quaint buildings on his way home, he reasoned that while Konoha couldn't be considered country side, it definitely was a small town. A village, even. He planned to move out the first chance he got to move to the big city, but for now he was stuck. Naruto had been living with his grandmother, Tsunade, since his parents had died in a car accident when he was young, and he helped her out with the small, family restaurant she ran. He envied his older adopted sister Shizune, who had left years previous to live in Tokyo where she was studying to become a doctor.

Naruto propped his bike up on the side of the house, ready for use the next day, and mentally ran through his schedule for the rest of the night. He had to help out at the restaurant, that much was certain... Luckily he didn't have any homework that day, leaving him more time for training... Then dinner, if he didn't eat already, and bed. Perfect.

The chimes tinkled a melodic tune when Naruto pushed the door open, alerting his arrival. Quickly donning his apron and bandana, he washed his hands and got ready for work in the kitchen.

"The A-Set meal is ready!" he called out a while later, and a large-chested blonde woman rounded the corner to collect the plate to give to one of the regular, longtime customers.

"You've taught him well, Tsunade. He could take over the shop any day now!"

"I think he should impregnate a local girl and settle down." Tsunade said with a wink, and a look of horror descended upon Naruto's features.

"Don't say such awful things to customers, Baa-chan!" he chastised, but his words fell onto deaf ears. Or rather, they fell onto women's ears, and we all know what that's worth.

"Oh my, maybe I would suffice!" Blushed one of the older women.

"You have a husband, Haruno-san." Naruto informed with his eye slightly twitching, never faltering once in his kitchen work.

"Then how about my Sakura?"

"Great idea!" Tsunade said before Naruto could get a word in.

"Don't try and force me into marriage! Besides, I don't want to take over the shop. Why don't you remarry, Baa-chan?" She looked up at him pointedly and blushed, causing the boy's jaw to drop.

"Enough acting like a girl, Baa-chan!"

"But... Hehe..." The older lady blushed, covering her cheeks with her hands. Before she could say anymore, the door suddenly slammed shut. Naruto was gone.

"Hey Naruto, where are you going during business hours?" Tsunade hollered, schoolgirl facade gone.

"I'm going out on a delivery!" he yelled back without opening the door.

"Damn that Naruto... He still doesn't recognize himself as the successor." Tsunade grumbled with a huff. A thoughtful gleam appeared in her eye. "Maybe I really should marry him to Sakura..."

"Hey now, wait a minute..." Her mother laughed nervously.

Outside, Naruto began to take a walk down the road. He had discarded the bandana but forgot to take off the apron, so he figured he looked more than a bit odd going down the street dressed like that, but he didn't mind what others thought. In fact, he was too focused on his own thoughts to care. _Who would want to live in a place like this? I'm not going to stay in the countryside and serve food for people day in and day out. I'll definitely become an MMA fighter and move to Tokyo, and live the life of a bachelor!_

"Hey, Naruto-kun~!" called a familiar sweet voice. He turned at the sound of his name to observe the dolled-up blonde walking down the street.

"Ino, what are you doing walking around this late?"

"I was just taking a walk, no need to worry," she looked up at him mischievously. "Besides, I wanted to see you..." Naruto nodded absently, figuring that was what she was up to. _I'll take my womanizing skills up a level in preparation for when I move to the big city._ He thought, schooling his features and bringing his hand up to gently lay on the side of her face. Naruto leaned forward as Ino's eyes fluttered shut, their lips mere inches from each other-

"Naruto!" yelled a familiar, angry voice. The blonde quickly turned on heel innocently to face the aggravated pink-haired girl.

"Sakura?!" Ino hissed angrily as Naruto slowly began to back away to avoid any trouble.

"What do you think you're doing, making out in the middle of the street? It's indecent!"

"What makes you think you can act like his wife, huh?" Ino snapped.

"I'm just looking out for his reputation, or what's left of it!" Sakura retorted.

"Well, I've got a delivery to make now, so I'll be going..." Naruto announced uneasily in an attempt to get away.

"I'm coming!"

"Me too!"

"Uh, but," Naruto inwardly cursed, wondering how to get the two banshees off his back. "But it's in that church!" He pointed towards the broken down, abandoned building. Two gasps could be heard from the girls, who looked horrified upon the very notion.

"The Yamato Church?!" they cried out together. It's said that the church is haunted by a man who was left at the altar, who eventually decomposed and turned into wood.

"This is the place..." Ino whispered, a shudder running through her.

"It's a famous local haunting spot..." Sakura supplied, nervously chewing at her lip.

"So, are you coming?" Naruto grinned, and both girls looked at each other.

"..."

"I have chores to do, I'll see you later." Sakura called behind her back as she turned to leave.

"I'm sorry Naruto-kun, I have homework to do. Maybe we could go out on a date tomorrow though? Good night!" Ino winked before taking off down the street, and Naruto gave an inaudible sigh of relief in response. He slipped in through the door quietly, the eery creak from the door the only thing that welcomed him. Naruto stepped forth to kneel in front of the altar, his hands clasped together in prayer.

"God, I want to confess... In middle school, I made up a story about a haunted church," he admitted with a facade of guilt. "...But man, these hicks will believe anything!" Naruto shook with laughter as he rolled on the ground, laying on his back staring up at the stained glass window above.

"There's one more thing... I'm leaving Baa-chan, and this place. It's my life and my sister did it too, so why can't I? It isn't a bad thing, is it?" He sighed to himself, conflicted. _But I have to keep up training if I want to escape this place. Better get going._ He stood and brushed himself off, turning to the door when it creaked open. _Shit! Is it Ino? Sakura?_ Whipping his head around in shock, Naruto quickly opened a nearby door and ducked inside without checking.

Just who could it be, he thought, stealing a small glance out the crack in the door. He froze upon the sight of none other than Hyūga Hinata, and his desperation grew tenfold. _Hyūga Hinata? What is she doing here?! But she just moved here... So she doesn't know about the rumors..._ Naruto opened the door a few inches wider in order to see better, when the hinges creaked.

"Who's there?" Hinata asked, slightly unnerved by the sound. Naruto covered his mouth with a hand, his mind reeling.

"I-I'm... I'm the priest here!" he called back, and he slapped his forehead in exasperation at the lame excuse.

"...The priest?"

"Today's mass has ended, so unless you want to confess, please go home." Naruto informed, masking his voice with authority. He heard footsteps and another creaking of hinges before he sighed lightly in relief.

"I'm not a Christian, but will you allow me to confess?" came a voice a mere foot away. Naruto repressed the urge to jump in his seat, realizing that she was indeed inside the confessional beside him. _No way this is happening!_

"Father...?" she asked with uncertainty, and the blonde covered his face in his hands with resignation.

"You may confess." It would probably be something trivial anyway, he reasoned. Most teenage problems were.

"...When I was in junior high I was sexually abused by my step father. I-I got pregnant, then had an abortion..." Naruto felt his breath die in his throat, his eyes slowly widening as he ingested her words. _I thought a classmate's confession would be... Something trivial._ After the unbelievable shock came doubt. That couldn't possibly be true... Could it?

"Despite that, my mother refused to help me and my step father's violence continued... I got pregnant again." Naruto was beginning to feel sick as he listened to her, and he covered his mouth. His eyes were wide and he resisted the urge to cover his ears so that he wouldn't have to listen to the awful things she was saying. She had to be joking.

"At the time, the strain on my body was such that I may never be able to have children again. Since I couldn't raise the children and it seemed nobody would help, it was like a death sentence for a fourteen year old..." He could hear the hitching of her voice, which indicated she was crying if not sobbing out right. She took a moment to collect herself.

"One year ago today, I gave birth to a boy and put him up for adoption."

* * *

A/N: I do not own the characters of "Naruto", nor do I own the plot of "Bitter Virgin" (though I will be making changes later on).

Just my mind running rampant. I reread Kusunoki Kei's manga "Bitter Virgin" recently (it's a beautiful story, if you'd like to check it out online) and instinctively wondered how it could be incorporated with "Naruto". I may trash this, but I figured I'd give it a chance and see what people think of it.

I know Naruto is OOC in this chapter, I'm sorry! But he will get better in later chapters, I promise. He had to be a jerk in the beginning, it was unavoidable. Review and tell me what you think! Should I trash this or continue? ;P


	2. Her Wound

**~*Chapter Two: Her Wound*~**

_Rape, pregnancy, abortion, childbirth... Hyūga Hinata can no longer trust men._

* * *

"...When I was in junior high I was sexually abused by my step father. I-I got pregnant, then had an abortion..." Naruto felt his breath die in his throat, his eyes slowly widening as he ingested her words. _I thought a classmate's confession would be... Something trivial._ After the unbelievable shock came doubt. That couldn't possibly be true... Could it?

"Despite that, my mother refused to help me and my step father's violence continued... I got pregnant again." Naruto was beginning to feel sick as he listened to her, and he covered his mouth. His eyes were wide and he resisted the urge to cover his ears so that he wouldn't have to listen to the awful things she was saying. She had to be joking.

"At the time, the strain on my body was such that I may never be able to have children again. Since I couldn't raise the children and it seemed nobody would help, it was like a death sentence for a fourteen year old..." He could hear the hitching of her voice, which indicated she was crying if not sobbing out right. She took a moment to collect herself.

"One year ago today, I gave birth to a boy and put him up for adoption." Naruto brought a hand up to his chest subconsciously, his heart beating so loudly and fiercely that it hurt.

"I wasn't happy to have that child growing inside me. I was always afraid, and sad. When it was decided he would be put up for adoption I was incredibly relieved. Furthermore, I have never even seen the child, and yet I... Though I have never seen him, is it okay for me to celebrate his birthday?" She choked miserably, the tears overflowing. Naruto felt like his jaw had been glued shut, for he didn't know what to say, much less anything that'd make her feel better.

"F-father... Please..." The blonde gripped his hair in his hands with desperation. _What do I do?!_ He wracked his mind as her sobs and hiccups filled the room.

"You have the support of God!" A moment of silence ensued, and it took a moment for Naruto to realize he had been the one to say that. He quickly slapped a hand over his mouth from his outburst, yet he was slightly relieved. The sobbing had stopped and he could hear her wiping at her face. It was a few silent minutes before she regained her composure.

"Thank you, Father." Without another word, Hinata stood and proceeded to leave. Naruto carefully stepped out of the confessional when he heard the other door shut and peered out the window to see her running off down the street. Once he made sure she was far enough, he proceeded to walk home. He barely registered anything, a whirlwind of thoughts in his mind.

"Naruto, where have you been?" Tsunade lectured when he walked through the door. "If Sakura hadn't been here to help, I'd have died from overworking! You better thank her!"

"It's okay, Baa-chan," Sakura assured with a modest smile, waving it off.

"Hey, Sakura..." Naruto started as he rounded the corner to stand beside her behind the counter.

"Hm?"

"What kind of girl is Hyūga Hinata?" Sakura blinked in surprise.

"Well, she's normally so quiet... Sorry, I don't really know her very well."

"Oh..." he murmured to himself sullenly. Sakura looked at him with concern, picking up on his low spirits.

"Naruto, did something happen at the church?"

"What church?" Tsunade inquired with a quirked eye brow.

"Yamato's Church; the one where the man was left at the altar and decomposed down into wood, and haunts the place to this day..."

"What?! I've never heard of such a thing!" The women rambled and Naruto took the chance to flee to his bedroom. He laid back on the twin-size futon, his arms beneath his head. It seemed there was no time for training that night; other things had taken precedent, to say the least. _Wait... When I think carefully, there's no way such a conversation could have actually happened. _He decided then and there that he'd figure out the truth, indirectly or not. Considering they had school the next day, it'd be a great place to start.

* * *

Naruto peeked around the corner, making sure no one was in sight. When he found the coast clear, he quickly ducked down the stairwell. When he had gotten to school that morning Hinata had been in class, as expected, but he hadn't been able to get a moment alone with her. That was also to be expected, Naruto reasoned, considering she never seemed to allow herself a moment of being alone. While it was true that she was a quiet, solitary person, she was always around at least one other girl if not more. Analyzing behavior alone, Naruto would conclude that she was a possible rape victim: the fainting, the fear around men, the aloofness, the way she never was alone... It all added up, hypothetically speaking, but he was here for the truth. Why? Even he didn't know the answer to that.

"Where is she?" he muttered to himself in confusion. He had been looking for her every chance he got but could never catch her alone. He quickly but quietly descended the stairs and found a familiar person standing on the landing below. _There she is!_ He looked at her carefully, from her lithe frame to the air of innocence she seemed to emit. _There's no way she gave birth. _He was about to call out to her when he heard her muttering under her breath. Naruto shut his mouth and strained his ears to listen.

"Thank you, I'm sorry. Thank you, I'm sorry. Thank you, I'm sorry." she repeated over and over to herself. _What the... _Naruto thought to himself when Hinata was interrupted.

"Hinata-chan, did you like that cake yesterday?" asked another girl walking up the stairs.

"Oh yes, I'm sorry for coming in at closing time..."

"That's okay! Whose birthday was it?" the girl inquired, and Hinata withdrew into herself a bit.

"It's a secret." she eventually said. Naruto frowned in suspicion and turned to walk away since his chance had been ruined again. _One this day one year ago... _Her voice echoed through his mind. _No way, this can't be happening!_

"Uzumaki-kun?"

"Eh?!" Naruto jumped at the figure who was standing directly behind him, afraid he'd been caught.

"Thank you for yesterday. I'm sorry," she said confidently. A moment of silence passed as Naruto tried to figure her out, and she started to grow antsy. "T-that's all." she squeaked nervously before turning to run down the hall. The blonde stood there wordlessly trying to decipher the meaning of her words. _Thank you... I'm sorry... Was she just practicing what she was going to say to me? But then again, she doesn't have much experience with men. _He thought back to his earlier musings that day. _The sexual abuse from her stepfather... Is this behavior truly from being raped? _His mind unwillingly imagined a scared, crying Hinata screaming for help, and shook himself to rid the notion. _Don't imagine it! _Naruto chastised himself.

"Hey, Naruto." Kiba greeted in the classroom when the blonde returned, and he waved in response before searching the crowd of students for a certain someone. Though he couldn't hear their conversation, he could see that Hinata was talking happily with another girl. She even laughed, covering her mouth with a hand. When the other girl left though, Hinata's smile slowly sunk down and her eyes drained all previous mirth. _Someone like that is definitely a pass._ He told himself, but the words didn't stop his overwhelming curiosity.

"Naruto-kun, do you want to see a movie with me? I have a funny DVD..." Ino cooed, but he wasn't paying attention to the other blonde. Hinata waved to one of her friends before heading out the door, and Naruto felt his feet follow her.

"Sorry, I have to help out at the restaurant." he lied halfheartedly over his shoulder. Ino's eyes widened in surprise before she brought a manicured finger up to her polished lips in thought, her feelings slightly hurt... But it was no matter; she would not give up. Her blue eyes hardened in determination.

Naruto quietly followed Hinata from a distance down the street while his mind was far away. _I bet yesterday's confession was just her trying to escape the tedium of her everyday life by making herself out to be the tragic heroine. In reality, she has a kind mother and father waiting for her at home. I'll just confirm it._

He nearly ran into Hinata when she suddenly stopped, and Naruto quickly ducked behind a corner to hide. When Hinata made no attempt at moving forward he followed her line of sight, which landed on a woman pushing a stroller with a baby strapped in. There was an odd look on her face, Naruto noted, something akin to regret and repulsion... It was then that he realized she must be reminiscing, wondering if her son was anything like that child. Hinata turned abruptly to walk away.

"Somebody help! My baby!" cried the woman from before, and both Naruto and Hinata turned back to see the stroller rolling into the road. When he froze in shock, his classmate ran forth in an attempt to save the child. _You've got to be kidding me! _He thought, following her. Running purely on instinct and the sudden adrenaline pumping through his veins, Naruto grabbed a surprised Hinata by the shoulders and held her firmly, one hand reached out to catch the stroller rolling down the hill at full speed.

Naruto took the brunt of the collision and was shoved off balance, falling onto the ground with a startled Hinata still in his arms. The stroller had staid upright with a fussy, but safe, child inside. Naruto groaned from the pain in his head and saw blood dripping on the asphalt from the open wound, and Hinata laid on her back sprawled across his lap. He looked down and saw her skirt had flipped up to reveal her underwear and quickly looked away, like any decent gentleman would, when something caught his attention. He froze, eyes wide, when he saw the mark upon her stomach. A large line with smaller dots alongside it marred the skin of her pale abdomen. _I've seen that somewhere before... That mark..._

_"What's that scar on your stomach, Baa-chan?" asked a four year old Naruto as he splashed in the bath. Tsunade dried herself off with a towel, not minding his curious gaze on her abdomen._

_"This is where your daddy was born from." _

Naruto continued to stare at Hinata, stunned, though she sat up to collect herself without noticing.

"Uzumaki-kun?!" she said in surprise, and Naruto stared blankly back at her. _A scar from... A cesarean section?_

"Thank you so much!" cried the relieved mother, running up to collect her child from the stroller. Hinata smiled sheepishly up at the woman before her gaze fell on Naruto.

"You're bleeding!" she gasped, but Naruto was too lost in thought to answer. _It was all true...?_

"You're hurt..." Naruto's mind reeled as Hinata's hand reached up to his wound. _The rape, the pregnancies, the abortion, the birth... It was all true._

* * *

A/N: I do not own the characters of "Naruto", nor do I own the plot of "Bitter Virgin" (though I will be making changes later on).

So, it's been decided- I will not be trashing this story! I'm genuinely surprised by the amount of people who are interested. I'm really happy. ;D

A big thanks to **Codaram**, **Midnight-The Angel of Darknes****s**, **neoB**, **Kwaii**, **Hinata-****Hime-Starz**, **Shoma**, and **Blue-shine-****angel** for reviewing! I dedicate this chapter to you guys, who have given me the incentive to continue this story. ;3

Happy Easter to all! Could this early update be an Easter present? But people normally don't give each other presents for Easter. My mom got me and my little brother Easter presents this year, wrapped and everything, so I guess I'll give you guys one too! xD


	3. When She Smiles

**~*Chapter Three: When She** **Smiles*~ **

_Wanting to get closer to a girl who bears the weight of reality... _

* * *

Naruto continued to stare at Hinata, stunned, though she sat up to collect herself without noticing.

"Uzumaki-kun?!" she said in surprise, and Naruto stared blankly back at her. _A scar from... A cesarean section?_

"Thank you so much!" cried the relieved mother, running up to collect her child from the stroller. Hinata smiled sheepishly up at the woman before her gaze fell on Naruto.

"You're bleeding!" she gasped, but Naruto was too lost in thought to answer. _It was all true...?_

"You're hurt..." Naruto's mind reeled as Hinata's hand reached up to his wound. _The rape, the pregnancies, the abortion, the birth... It was all true.  
_

"We have to wipe off the blood," Hinata murmured to herself, pulling a handkerchief from her bag. Naruto watched her, still slightly in shock, as she brought her hand up to his forehead. Her fingers trembled and she bit at her lower lip, nervousness rolling off her in tangible waves. Anxiety flickered in her eyes though she continued to push herself closer to him despite her discomfort. Her obvious fear of him brought Naruto back to the current situation, and he leaned away from her to bring a hand up to his head. Hinata blinked in surprise before a flash of shame flickered in her pearl-colored eyes.

"You're hurt! I'll take you to the clinic," the mother from before broke the moment, much to both Naruto and Hinata's secret relief. The dazed teens got to their feet to follow the woman down the street, the previous event playing through their minds repeatedly.

* * *

"Naruto!" a frantic voice called out from the clinic lobby.

"Baa-chan-" Naruto was cut off by a bear hug from the blonde woman, who squeezed him so tightly he lost his breath.

"What the hell happened? Do you have any idea how worried I was?!" she demanded heatedly as his face turned purple from lack of oxygen.

"Baa-chan... Get off... Can't breathe..." Tsunade blinked in realization before releasing him, and he took a large breath to regain his senses. Her gaze landed on the quiet girl behind him, who had a hand up to her chest in uncertainty.

"Was it you? Are you the one who got him into trouble? Where are your parents, girl?" the older woman snapped.

"Baa-chan!" Naruto intervened, stepping in between the two woman defensively. He threw Tsunade a disapproving look.

"I-I'm sorry... I don't have any parents; I live alone." Hinata nodded apologetically. Naruto frowned in thought, for this was the first time he had heard of it. _She's living alone? There must be a reason for that..._

"Living alone at your age?" Tsunade questioned with a cocked eye brow.

"I have a relative nearby, so..." Hinata struggled to explain.

"Excuse me," came a meek voice from behind, and the three turned to see the woman with a child. "Your son's injury was all my fault! He was saving my baby..."

"...Really? Oh." Tsunade smiled, pleasantly surprised. When she had gotten the call from the clinic that Naruto had been hurt she had assumed he had gotten in a fight again, or that something serious had happened... But he had saved a baby. How heroic, she mused with pride.

"I'm very sorry," the woman apologized profusely while bowing low, the child sucking on his fist obliviously.

"Oh no, it's quite alright! That's my Naruto, for you. How old is your son?" Tsunade cooed at the baby, who stared back curiously. Naruto watched the scene in amusement and stole a sidelong glance at the girl beside him, who was staring impassively at the child. The boy's dark eyes focused on her and her lips turned up in a waning smile.

"It's getting late, so I'll be going now... I apologize for any inconveniences, and I'm glad your baby is okay. See you tomorrow, Uzumaki-kun." Hinata bowed before turning on her heel to leave.

"Wait, Hinata! You hurt your leg in the accident, so I'll walk you home." Naruto heard the words leave his mouth as if he had no control. At the puzzled, uncertain look on her face, he elaborated. "Ah, I mean, it's getting dark already so... It's not safe." She observed him wearily. With any other girl he would have grown annoyed, yet he seemed to have a lot more patience with Hinata. Ever since he had learned her secret he had become more mature, not as clueless about the world and people around him. Though he didn't know it yet, he had gained great perspective. His eyes softened a bit in sympathy. "You don't have to be afraid..."

"Huh? I'm not afraid, not really... Is that how it seems?" she asked innocently, a finger up to her chin in contemplation. Naruto stared at her blankly. _As if you're not._

"I'll be at your side in case another stroller decides to run you down." He laughed to lighten the mood. Hinata looked as if she were about to decline, albeit politely, when Tsunade stepped in.

"It's not safe for young girls to go home alone at this time of evening, you know. My grandson is a gentleman, so let him walk you home." the older woman said kindly, giving Naruto a slap on the back that warned him to be perfectly polite (_as if I wouldn't be,_ he thought to himself). Naruto inwardly cheered that she was on his side, even without knowing the circumstances, and a resigned yet cautious look came across Hinata's face.

"If you insist..."

And so Naruto found himself walking alongside the girl who had plagued his thoughts for the last week, his hands stuffed in his pockets as he wondered how to strike up conversation to end the awkward silence. He sneakily looked at her from the corner of his eye to see her nervous form. Her pallor was pale, more so than usual, almost _pasty_. Naruto could see a sheen of perspiration glint off the skin of her face, and the look in her eyes betrayed her unbridled fear. He couldn't exactly describe why this bothered him, but he wished to soothe her if only a little.

"I'll just walk behind a bit," Naruto offered, and Hinata looked at him curiously though she did not protest. She peeked back at him occasionally, worry creasing her brow.

"I'll go a little further back." He allowed her to go on ahead until they were about ten feet away from each other. She appeared satisfied with the distance, but Naruto still felt awkward with the complete lack of conversation.

"You know-" he started to break the silence but she jumped from the sound of his voice, startled. "Uh, I won't talk anymore!" She seemed to be at peace with the current arrangement, yet Naruto wasn't much one for the quiet. _How will she warm up to me if we don't even talk?_ He wracked his brain for answers when an idea popped into his head... And so he started to hum a tune from one of his favorite songs.

Hinata blinked in surprise and slowly looked back at him, but his eyes were closed as he walked down the road behind her. The feelings of unease began to fade away with each note he sang, and she gave a small smile... Not that he could see it. Naruto was on autopilot as he hummed, his mind far away and focused on the girl up ahead of him. _She lives like this, but will she be able to change if she finds a guy she likes? Will she always fear men? What kind of guy would she like, anyway?_ He cracked a blue eye open and watched her back as she walked, her long hair swishing with each step. Naruto continued to hum as she peeked back at him through her bangs.

"I know that song." Hinata smiled genuinely, and the blonde felt his jaw slacken in surprise at her statement. Well, not much the content of the sentence, but rather that she actually _spoke_. "I like it..." she admitted, her smile growing. Needless to say, he was shocked beyond belief.

"Is that so?" he asked back cheerfully, delightfully surprised, and she nodded back. At this point she had turned around so that they now faced one another fully.

"It's not much further to my place... Thank you for walking me home." Hinata said, bidding him goodnight.

"No problem," he shrugged it off with a grin.

"...Thank you for saving the baby." she murmured so quietly, Naruto wasn't certain he had heard her correctly.

"Huh?" It seemed to be the most intelligent thing his mind could form at the moment. Hinata merely smiled before bounding away out of his sight. "It wasn't really the baby I was trying to help..." he muttered to himself once his brain caught up with the situation.

* * *

"You've been singing the same song all night." Tsunade noted with a knowing smirk. Naruto stopped mid-hum as he walked into the kitchen to grab a water bottle from the refrigerator. By the time he got home he only had time to finish his homework, eat dinner, and shower, skipping training yet again. He'd get up early the next morning to make up for it, Naruto decided, and that was when his thoughts had been interrupted by his grandmother.

"Have I?"

"Yeah, ever since you got home." she confirmed.

"I didn't even realize it..." he grumbled, puzzled at his own actions.

"Listen, Naruto. Stay away from that girl."

"What?" Naruto asked in disbelief, followed by, "Why?!"

"No reason in particular. I just feel that something's off about her." Tsunade replied vaguely, and Naruto glowered in response. _Maybe she's sensing something as a fellow mother? How odd._

"Her parents live far away, right? She wouldn't make a good hostess at the restaurant."

"Go to bed, Baa-chan!" Naruto snapped with a scowl, his grandmother's real intentions revealed. Tsunade only chuckled as Naruto made his way to his room in the attic. Inside was a small, twin-size futon, a dresser, a stereo, a desk with a chair, a bookshelf, and his training equipment in the corner, which consisted of a single punching bag, gloves, and several dumbbells of various weights.

"Damn that Baa-chan. Who would want to take over the shop, anyway?" he grumbled to no one in particular, rubbing a towel through his damp hair as his eyes landed on his stereo system. _I know that song. I like it..._ Hinata's voice echoed in his mind. _If she was able to smile like that, does it mean she has recovered a little?_ Naruto found himself digging through his dresser drawers, fumbling through his many CD's.

"Here it is. It's track number five on this album." Naruto grinned. He opened the case to make sure the CD was inside and his smile froze when he read the writing inside. _Happy birthday, Dobe._ Naruto closed his eyes and repressed the sudden wave of painful nostalgia, closing the case snugly with a snap. He was quite adept at holding back his feelings; he had years of practice whether it was regarding his parents or _him_. With a strained smile, he forced back the memories...

...And just like that, they were gone, shoved away in the furthest back corners of his mind. _What was wrong with me?_ He thought, throwing himself back on his futon with his hands propped underneath his head. _Before __I mistakenly overheard her confession, I didn't care whether or not Hyūga Hinata was raped, got pregnant, had an abortion, or gave birth..._ Naruto had to admit that he felt damned ashamed of himself. He had been so immature and insensitive, so incredibly naïve that it made himself physically sick. _If she can, she should move on and find herself a boyfriend... But what kind of guy would a girl like her have interest in? What kind of guy would she come to like?_ He fell asleep with these thoughts on his mind.

* * *

Naruto walked into school with his bag slung over his shoulder, his other hand in his pocket gripping the CD inside. He looked left and right, then left again; looking for a certain someone.

"Good morning, Naruto-kun!" Ino chimed, but he was oblivious to her presence while he searched the crowd of students for a familiar girl. "What's that face for?" the blonde girl asked, looking at his expression.

"Hm? Oh, nothing." Naruto mumbled, attention still elsewhere.

"Are you looking for someone?" Ino wasn't as stupid as people thought her to be, despite her popularity status. No, she just had the tendency to be quite psychotic at times, though she preferred the term 'headstrong'.

"No, I'm not!" Naruto insisted with a shake of his head.

"Good morning, Uzumaki-kun," came a meek voice from behind. "How's your injury?" Hinata inquired with concern. Naruto's hand reached up and touched the gauze wrapped around his head gingerly. The gentle look on her face made him squirm, and he felt a flush creep up his neck.

"I-it's okay," he stammered, his tongue strangely numb.

"That's good." Hinata nodded with a smile, and she stepped towards him. She continued to walk forward and Naruto almost thought that she was going to approach him directly, but then she walked right passed him without any hesitation. At this he felt... Disappointed.

Naruto frowned a little. Hinata greeted her other female friends. Ino watched it all with narrowed eyes.

* * *

A/N: I do not own the characters of "Naruto", nor do I own the plot of "Bitter Virgin" (though I have made changes and will be making more later on).

Shout outs to **MariTheNnasty**, **Sunny**, **Midnight-The Angel of Darkness**, **TooLazyToSignIn**, **dantheman23**, **littlemissnovelist**, **llazo4108822**, and **Uchiha MeNikki**! It never ceases to amaze me how many people like this story. You guys are awesome and made my day, hehe. And I thank all the others who favorite-d and are following this story. The encouragement, direct and indirect, is much appreciated. ;3

Also, please let me know if you see any grammar mistakes, spelling mistakes, etc. I'm usually quite the stickler for these kind of things, yet I get confused sometimes. The constructive criticism is also welcome. ;)


	4. That Special Girl

**~*Chapter Four: That Special Girl*~**

_Whomever dreams of happiness, even a girl who bears the weight of reality, will surely realize it someday... _

* * *

"Good morning, Uzumaki-kun," came a meek voice from behind. "How's your injury?" Hinata inquired with concern. Naruto's hand reached up and touched the gauze wrapped around his head gingerly. The gentle look on her face made him squirm, and he felt a flush creep up his neck.

"I-it's okay," he stammered, his tongue strangely numb.

"That's good." Hinata nodded with a smile, and she stepped towards him. She continued to walk forward and Naruto almost thought that she was going to approach him directly, but then she walked right passed him without any hesitation. At this he felt... Disappointed.

Naruto frowned a little. Hinata greeted her other female friends. Ino watched it all with narrowed eyes. Sakura walked up with a clipboard in hand, taking attendance. She stopped in front of her blonde friend and cocked a brow at the odd look on his face. Inwardly, Naruto has having a silent panic attack about what he was about to do. Surely lending someone a CD wasn't a big deal, but why did he feel so nervous about it? _Just suck it up and do it already, _he told himself.

"Ah..." He cleared his throat to gain Hinata's attention, but she remained oblivious. Naruto grew antsier with each passing moment, nearly suffocating in the awkwardness.

"H-Hinata..." he tried again, but his voice came out as a mere grumble. The blonde hid his face in his hands, feeling that he had brought stupidity a new level. _Why can't I talk to her?! _Sakura watched with interest but said nothing.

"Hey, Hinata-chan, Naruto wants to talk to you." The pinkette murmured quietly as she walked passed the other girl, who looked around in surprise. Naruto slumped in his desk as he inwardly beat himself up, not noticing the girl approaching him from behind.

"Uzumaki-kun?"

"Eh? Oh, Hinata! Uh..." He was both ecstatic and horrified to find that Hinata had sought him out on her own. Perhaps there was a God after all...

"Sakura-chan said you wanted to speak to me." Hinata replied. Ah, so Sakura was the holy being that gave him this opportunity. Figures, he inwardly grumbled. Though he wasn't quite sure if he should be thanking her or cursing her at the moment.

"Right, right," he trailed off before pulling the CD out of his coat pocket and thrusting it at her. "You can borrow this, if you'd like. The song you said you like is track five." Hinata took the disc with care and inspected it thoughtfully. Sakura, who was curiously watching from the other side of the room, froze when she saw the CD.

"It's track six."

"Eh? It is?!" Naruto asked, embarrassed at his mistake.

"Yup," she nodded.

"How did you now?" he inquired uncertainly.

"Oh, I have this CD too." she explained with a polite smile, and Naruto fiercely resisted the urge to slap his own forehead. _Of course she has it already! Why didn't I think of that? I'm such an idiot!_

"But I left it at my parent's house when I left... May I borrow this?" Hinata asked meekly, and Naruto blinked.

"Yeah, return it whenever..." He assured, pleased at the way things had turned out.

"Hey, what are you guys up to?" Kiba interjected cheerfully, and Hinata gasped in surprise... Then she fled on instinct.

"Whoa, she's fast..." the brunette marveled, and Naruto scowled at the interruption.

"She wouldn't have ran off if you hadn't sneaked up on us like that," the blonde sulked.

"Oh yeah? And why is that? She was talking to you just fine, but with any other guy she runs away or faints." Kiba pouted, rubbing his chin with a hand in puzzlement. Naruto opened his mouth to retort when his friend's words caught up to him.

"Is that true?" he asked, and Kiba nodded.

"Yeah, even though you said she was a pass. How odd." Naruto mused over this for the rest of the day, unaware of the set of intelligent green eyes studying his form and the blazing blue ones glaring daggers at Hinata.

* * *

At the end of the day, Hinata went to her locker where all of her things were kept to retrieve her outside shoes. Pulling off her slippers, she replaced them with her other pair before putting her homework in her bag. As she placed various books inside she reached into her locker to grab the CD that Uzumaki-kun had been kind enough to let her borrow. She opened the case and checked the CD for scratches when she noticed the writing inside.

"Happy birthday... Dobe." she murmured to herself in confusion. So the CD had been a birthday gift to Uzumaki-kun, but why would the person giving it to him call him a dobe? Odd, she mused. Though Hinata was curious, she decided she wouldn't pry. People had their private issues, after all, and she certainly wouldn't appreciate if someone were to pry into her business...

Hinata was about to put the CD away safely in her bag when she felt a piece of paper on the backside. She flipped it over to reveal a sticky-note taped in place. _Aren't you not good with guys?_ It was hard to read, given the messy penmanship. She concluded that it was a male's handwriting, and given the situation at hand it was from Uzumaki-kun. She wondered what the note meant, thinking carefully. It seemed her fear of men was obvious, and while she was embarrassed it appeared that Uzumaki-kun was... Concerned? The note wasn't asking her if she was good with boys, she realized. Rather, it was silently asking why she was interacting with him considering her fear. Hinata thought for a bit and realized that she did treat Uzumaki-kun differently than the others... Why was that? She wasn't so sure.

Flipping the sticky-note over, she dug a pen out of her bag and began to write.

At the end of the day, Naruto also went to his locker to gather his things. Kiba trailed behind him dutifully, chatting about random gossip that Naruto didn't really bother listening to. Shoving his homework in his bag begrudgingly, he wondered how long he'd have to work at the restaurant that day. Hopefully there would be time for training after everything was done. While it was true that he had gotten up early in the morning for that specific purpose, Naruto believed that you could never get too much training in one day. Maybe he could squeeze in some time before bed.

"Hey Naruto, hurry up!" Kiba called from the doorway, having already gathered his things.

"I'm coming, hang on," the blonde said, pulling on his shoes. He nudged his locker shut with an elbow before turning towards his brunette friend. As he took his first step, he felt something crinkle in his shoe. _Is there paper in my shoe?_

"Kiba, you can go on ahead, I've got to shake out my shoes." Naruto sat on the floor as Kiba shrugged.

"Okay, see you tomorrow then." the brunette waved before leaving. Naruto pulled his left shoe off and held it upside down, but only a few pebbles fell out. Putting it back on, he tried his other shoe. When a small sticky-note fluttered out he plucked it out of the air. _Thanks for the CD. Uzumaki-kun is special. _Naruto stared at it for a long time, wondering if someone was pulling a prank or... If Hinata had really written it. _I'm... Special? What kind of answer is that? And what does it mean?_ He couldn't keep his mind off the note the whole way home.

* * *

"Naruto, I have to go out to run some errands. Manage the restaurant while I'm gone. Sakura is here to help." Tsunade ordered as she walked through the door, which was still open from when Naruto entered.

"Okay..." he answered to the empty air. Sakura was inside washing her hands, getting ready to work. He pulled on his apron and bandana before washing his hands as well, drying them off with a stray towel.

"So Baa-chan dragged you into working too, eh?" Naruto jabbed at his longtime friend. Sakura rolled her eyes sarcastically.

"No, Naruto. Unlike you, I actually _enjoy_ helping out."

"Really? I figured you'd rather be reading textbooks or writing essays for fun on your free time." he grumbled, earning a hard jab in the ribs by her elbow.

"And I thought you'd rather be training and neglecting your studies, like the meat-head you are." she snapped, giving him a warning glance. He merely smirked before getting to work.

"Here, the B-set meal is ready," Naruto informed a while later, handing the plate to his apron-clad classmate. She took it and eyed him quizzically.

"You seem to be in a good mood today." Sakura observed, and Naruto looked up at her from his cooking.

"Why is that?"

"Well, you've been humming all night. And it's been the same song..." she trailed off.

"Oh." he simply said, unsure of what to say. She looked at him for a moment, as if to say something, before she abruptly walked away with the plate in hand. _That song... And that CD..._ Sakura bit her bottom lip and shook her head, ridding herself of the thoughts her mind was about to delve into.

Naruto flipped the contents of the wok over the stove expertly, his mind also far away. _Am I happy? Why am I happy? ...Is it because Hinata called me special? Firstly, what do you even mean by special? Huh? What do you mean, Hinata? _

He decided he would get to the bottom of this the next day.

* * *

It seemed that whenever Naruto sought out Hinata, he could never find her. Or, when he did happen to find her, he couldn't approach her for various reasons.

"There she is," he murmured to himself, at his first attempt to approach her. She had her back to him, dressed in her P.E. clothes and washing her hands. He opened his mouth to speak when his voice died in his throat. _Er, this isn't a good time..._

The second time he saw her, Naruto was determined to speak up. She was walking down the hallway and he automatically trailed behind her without noticing just where Hinata was going. He was just about to follow her into girls' bathroom when he noticed the sign on the door, and he quickly ran away in horror before anyone could witness his mishap. _This isn't a good place!  
_

"You said that Hyūga Hinata was a pass, so why are you so worried about her?" Naruto turned to see the blonde girl leaning against the wall, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Ino... When did I say-"

"You said it!" she interrupted, some of her anger slipping out. Naruto thought back and, with a jolt, realized she was right. But that had been a while ago, before he knew...

"You heard that?" he squeaked quietly, afraid someone else would overhear.

"You can hear everything in that class," she informed, voice just as low.

"Oh. Well, I'm not really worried about her..." he claimed, gazing out the window.

"Look me in the eye when you talk to me." she snapped. Naruto turned and looked at her, taking in her appearance. _If it's Ino, then I can talk to her and touch her easily._ He reached up and brushed a stray blonde lock of hair behind her ear as if to prove the point. _Ino and Hinata are both women, so they should feel the same... Right?_ She did not resist when he pulled her into his arms, holding her close. He stood quietly, thinking, as Ino's heart fluttered from their close proximity. _...__But it's just not the same. _

"I'm going home," Naruto said, releasing her without another word. She covered her blushing face with her shaky hands, overjoyed, and Naruto walked away, painfully oblivious. _I'll try to talk to Hinata again tomorrow. Maybe casually at lunch or something. Perhaps quietly when she's alone..._

"Uzumaki-kun?" Naruto just about jumped out of his skin at the sound of the familiar, meek voice calling out his name. He turned to see the smiling girl with his CD in hand.

"Thanks for the CD. You can have it back now."

"Eh? I said you could borrow it as long as you'd like... Well, okay." he conceded, taking back the CD. _I can't even speak to her like a normal person. Why is that?_

"I'm leaving now, see you tomorrow."

"Why did you say that I'm special?" he blurted out fortuitously, and Hinata blinked in surprise. _Even though I should understand girls, I just don't get her..._

"Uzumaki-kun... Before, in the classroom, you said that I was the only girl you would pass on." she said quietly, and Naruto felt his heart hammer painfully. In that moment, the regret and shame was stifling.

"You... You heard that?" he asked miserably, and she nodded.

"I really am bad with boys, but you've been nothing but nice to me. I know that you don't see me as a woman, and that's why I'm not afraid of you." _It's because you don't frighten me._ Her silent words went unspoken. "And that's why you're special." she finished with a surprisingly bright smile.

Naruto felt extremely conflicted, and even disappointed. _She's not afraid of me, but I bet she would be if I did something completely unreasonable. _He imagined grabbing her roughly, pushing her against the wall to kiss her fiercely. _If I did something like that, she'd definitely be afraid of me. She'd cry. She'd hate me._ He felt inexplicably angry at her reasoning, despite her smile.

"Uzumaki-kun?" she asked uncertainly, and he clenched his hands in fists. _If I laid even a single finger on her, she would break. After all, I know perfectly well just how wounded she really is._

"I know everything, Hinata. Your secret..." he started, but she seemed oblivious.

"Of course. You're my one and only, best male friend." Hinata said ecstatically, and Naruto felt all his previous anger melt away from the look of utter happiness on her face. "We saved the baby together, and we like the same song..." she continued, and Naruto sunk to the floor in defeat.

"Are you okay?" Hinata asked with concern, kneeling down next to him. He ran his hands through his unruly blonde locks. _I'm happy... Yet I'm so sad. It hurts..._

"Uzumaki-kun?" she asked with worry. _Rape, pregnancy, abortion, childbirth... This girl in front of me who tries to hide her wounds._

"...I'm sorry." Naruto apologized solemnly. Hinata blinked in surprise.

"What for?" she inquired. He clenched his jaw, no longer angry at her but nonetheless conflicted with the situation at hand. _I can't take another step._

Ino walked cheerfully down the hall, a slight bounce in her step. As she passed the classroom she noticed the pink-haired class president inside, bent over working on paperwork.

"Hey Sakura, do you know where Naruto-kun is?" Ino cooed, and Sakura scowled.

"Do you seriously like him? Honestly?" she asked guardedly. While she and Ino weren't exactly enemies, they weren't particularly friends either. Though she wasn't a judgmental person usually, Sakura didn't want that kind of girl around her idiotic best friend.

"Well, obviously! We are _dating_, after all." Ino gushed, and Sakura blinked in disbelief...

"What?!"

* * *

A/N: I do not own the characters of "Naruto", nor do I own the plot of "Bitter Virgin" (though I have made changes and will be making more later on).

Do any of you like **GaaSaku**, by any chance? If so, you should check out my new story "**The Ties That Bind**" (I'm a diehard GaaSaku fan, if you were wondering, though I'm not against other Sakura pairings). It's written from Gaara's POV, in first person. I have high hopes for it, and I'd REALLY appreciate it if you checked it out. ;3

Shout out time! I give a HUGE thanks to **Codaram**, **Hinata-Hime-Starz**, **devilzxknight86**, **dantheman23**, **Guest**, and **yazhe-chan **for reviewing! The encouragement and constructive criticism is much appreciated. And to all you silent lurkers out there, won't you join us? ;P


	5. Love Her

**~*Chapter Five: Love Her*~**

_It is said that when you fall in love, you see the world in rose color... Those are huge lies._

* * *

"Good afternoon, Hinata!" Kiba greeted cheerfully with a friendly pat on the shoulder, greatly shocking the girl and causing her to freeze. Her eyes grew wide and glossy, as if to lose consciousness at any moment, when Kiba was kicked halfway across the room by an aggravated blonde, thus sparing Hinata the embarrassment.

"Bastard, don't be so energetic!" Naruto snapped with an irritated eye twitch.

"I wouldn't be so energetic if you weren't so hateful!" Kiba claimed, hiding behind a facade of hurt. His bottom lip trembled as he nursed his wounded pride, causing everyone in the immediate vicinity to roll their eyes at his antics. Naruto sneaked a sidelong glance at the timid girl beside him and felt a sharp pang in his heart- the same pang that seemed to occur whenever she was around, oddly enough. Such evils in the world had all befallen a single person... To think that such an innocent girl had so many sins that she hadn't even committed herself, yet the pain was all hers and hers alone. Naruto decided that, with her fear of men in mind, he would stay away from Hinata, if only to protect her. Despite the newly emerging, rather _confusing_ feelings he seemed to have for her, he would rather see her happy.

And so Naruto brushed passed Hinata, carefully as to not come in contact with her, without another word. _It's for the best... For her-_

"Good afternoon, Uzumaki-kun." Hinata greeted with a cheerful smile, completely unfazed by his aloof actions. Her acknowledgement of him made the blonde disregard his previous thoughts of martyrdom.

"Ah, good afternoon, Hinata!" He returned, a wide grin spreading across his features.

"I heard that the meals at your restaurant are famous for being delicious," she continued meekly, and Naruto blinked in genuine surprise.

"Really?" He asked dumbly, mentally cursing himself for the lame reply.

"Maybe I could drop by sometime." She said thoughtfully, and Naruto nodded enthusiastically as she walked away.

"I-I suggest the A-set meal!" He called to her, and she smiled politely before walking into the classroom. Naruto stared at the place she once stood with a goofy grin plastered on his face, and Kiba waved his hand in front of the blonde's eyes to get his attention.

"Why does Hinata treat you differently?" Kiba wondered out loud, and Naruto thought of the answer. _That's right, she's afraid of men, but she's okay with me... Because I'm special to her. That must mean... I've been friend-zoned. _He sighed in disappointment before rounding the corner into the classroom, nearly running right into a familiar pink-haired girl.

"Good afternoon, Naruto." She greeted amiably.

"Hey, Sakura." He returned, and he couldn't help but notice how she was looking at him... As if she were inspecting some new sort of life form.

"Er... What is it?" He asked with uncertainty, and the pinkette turned her back to him nonchalantly.

"I didn't know you were serious about that girl." She said offhandedly, while watching him carefully. Sakura had been beyond shocked by the news that Naruto had actually committed himself to a single girl, and to Ino of all people... But Naruto's thoughts had been on another girl entirely, and thus Sakura's remark had been sorely misinterpreted.

"It's not like I wanted to start liking her! It just happened..." Naruto insisted desperately, wondering just how in the world his pink-haired friend had managed to see through him. Sakura whirled on him, eyes wide with shock.

"So it's true?" She demanded, and Naruto knew he had fallen right into her trap. He opened his mouth and shut it multiple times, unsure of what to say, resembling a gaping goldfish. Sakura watched him thoughtfully, her brow creasing slightly.

"Just to let you know, Naruto, that girl is quite a handful. You better prepare yourself before you date her." It was his turn to be surprised, and he blinked in confusion.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked with a scowl as she walked away, but she didn't answer. Sakura's words echoed inside his mind, making him wonder just how much she knew. _Sakura... Does she know about Hinata's secret? But how? She wouldn't talk about her past with just an acquaintance..._

He spent the rest of the class staring at Hinata, then at Sakura, and back again. Naruto was puzzled, to say the least, and he wasn't one much for puzzles. His thoughts were interrupted when the bell chimed for lunch.

"Hinata-chan, let's eat lunch in the courtyard outside!" Suggested a girl Naruto recognized- Tenten was her name, he thought. Hinata nodded politely and walked out the door with her friend, lunch box in hand. Naruto deliberated for a moment the morality of what he was about to do but his feet decided for him as he stepped forward to follow the girls. It _wasn't_ stalking, he swore to himself; he just wanted to see how she reacted in a normal, everyday situation.

"Naruto-kun, I made you a bentō!" Ino called in a singsong voice. When she found that only Sakura and a few stragglers remained in the room she pouted.

"Sakura, do you know where Naruto-kun is?" She asked, cradling the lunch box in her arms. The pinkette looked up from the book she was leaned over, her long-forgotten lunch sitting beside it on her desk while her chopsticks were held limply in her hand.

"Naruto? I don't know where he is... Did you make that bentō yourself, Ino?" She asked, surprised.

"Yup! It's like they say, the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach!" The blonde said with a wink. Sakura smiled politely and nodded before getting back to her book, while Ino fled the scene in hot pursuit of her _boyfriend_.

Naruto wasn't too far away, leaning his arms on the sill of a window that overlooked the courtyard that Hinata and her friends were currently in.

"Your bentō looks amazing, Hinata-chan!" One of the girls complimented, and Hinata blushed with a smile.

"I messed up on it a little..." She admitted modestly, fiddling with her chopsticks. Naruto watched from afar with a smile. _With a barrier of girls around her, she can eat her lunch without a care in the world._

"She's so clumsy," Naruto mused as Hinata picked up an anko dumpling, only for it to fall from the grasp of her chopsticks into the grass below. She was indeed clumsy- but it was cute, he had to admit.

"She's so bad with chopsticks!" He laughed to himself as she fumbled with the eating utensils. Was she always this adorable? How had he not noticed before?

"Whaaa! She's choking!" Naruto panicked as Hinata went into a coughing fit, covering her face with her hands. He only calmed down once she recovered, sparing her friends an apologetic glance.

"What are you doing?" He asked out loud with a chuckle. He saw Hinata's mouth move as she spoke to her friends without fear, her features animated. Her gentle opalescent eyes were full of trust from being around her fellow girls, and Naruto felt his smile turn saccharine. _I want to get closer too, but..._

"Who is that?" Naruto muttered to himself as an unfamiliar boy interrupted them. He could see the boy speak to the girls around Hinata and, all at once, they left... As if to give him and Hinata some privacy. Naruto didn't wait to see the haunted look return in her eyes; instead, he wasted no time in rushing down the hall.

"I wanted to speak to you alone, Hinata-chan." The boy started, and she stared resolutely at the ground without a word. When she didn't acknowledge him the boy stepped closer, until they were only a mere foot apart. Hinata went rigid, her jaw clenched tightly as she attempted to calm herself and keep consciousness.

"Are you okay?" Hinata couldn't help but flinch while the stranger's hands inched nearer, aiming to be placed on her shoulders consolingly. She braced herself, fisting the hems of her skirt in an iron-grip while holding her breath to keep from screaming.

"HINATA!" Yelled a familiar voice, and she looked over in surprise to see Naruto rushing over from the building. He scrambled over a leafy hedge without concern, leaving the bush dilapidated and slightly askew, though no one seemed to care at the moment. Hinata felt her body move of her own accord as she stood, her bentō falling to the ground with a clatter as the contents spilled onto the ground with utter disregard.

"Uzumaki-kun!" She choked, her voice strained with barely repressed emotions. Hinata stepped away from the strange boy and into Naruto's arms, gripping his button-down shirt tightly in her fists. Naruto's eyes widened in surprise at the close proximity, though she was too caught up to notice.

"Take me to the infirmary; I don't feel well..." She let out quietly, and Naruto placed an innocent hand on her shoulder to steer her back towards the building.

"Uh... Hello?" Called the boy who was left behind, but no one was there to hear him. Inside, Naruto led a trembling Hinata to the infirmary.

"The nurse isn't here..." He muttered with a frown as Hinata seemed to relax more with every passing second. "Are you okay?" Naruto asked carefully, his brow wrinkling in concern.

"Yes, I'll just lie down for a while..." She assured before climbing onto the cot in the corner, pulling the thin sheet over herself.

"Good, good..." Naruto nodded. He cleared his throat in the awkward silence that followed. "I'll just be going now..."

"Why?" Hinata asked with genuine confusion without missing a beat.

"Uh... Well, you need to rest and all..."

"Stay," she insisted eagerly, but he could see the slight insecurity in her gaze. "In case that guy comes back..."

"...Okay." Naruto simply said, and he pulled up a chair beside the bed. Hinata laid on her side facing him, her eyes fluttering shut while her breathing slowed as she drifted off to sleep. The blonde watched her in slumber, once again swearing to himself that he wasn't a stalker or anything, just a concerned friend... Yeah, right.

Naruto couldn't help but notice how her dark, indigo hair fanned out across her pillow, the dark tresses greatly contrasting against the white linen. It looked so soft and silky, shining in the light, that he was just itching to feel the soft strands slipping between his fingers. _She's definitely afraid of men. We may have become pretty friendly, but what's with this trust?_ Her hair seemed to beckon him, begging to be handled. _I bet if I touched her, she'd__ freak out._

He raised his hand without much forethought until it rested on the top of her head. The light contact confirmed Naruto's suspicions; her hair was indeed soft and silky. He felt his breath catch in his chest when she opened her pearl eyes, looking at him blankly as he waited for her reaction. Naruto was even more shocked to see that she didn't seem disturbed in the least, only a bit confused.

"What is it?" Hinata asked, tilting her head slightly.

"You... Really aren't afraid of me." Naruto managed to say. It was more of an observation than a question.

"Of course not. That's because Uzumaki-kun is..." Naruto gulped silently, hanging on her every word as he searched her eyes for something he couldn't quite explain. His hand still hadn't moved from its spot on her head. She smiled softly before taking a small breath to continue her sentence-

"Naruto-kun!" Cried a familiar voice, and a startled Naruto jumped out of his seat reflexively as Ino barged into the room.

"What do you think you're doing, leaving your girlfriend all alone?" She demanded, and Naruto stared at her as if she had grown another head.

"What? Girlfriend?!" He sputtered in disbelief.

"That's right! We're the most popular couple in school! Rumor has it that it's futile to approach Naruto-kun because he's so entranced by me," Ino informed, flipping her mane of platinum hair over her shoulder.

"What?!"

"Yes, I heard about it. Congratulations." Hinata chirped with a happy smile as she sat up, and Naruto felt his heart sink with disappointment.

"Don't tell me... Earlier, you were gonna say..."

"That's because Uzumaki-kun is Ino-chan's boyfriend." Hinata finally finished, and Naruto sagged in defeat. Yup, he was definitely and hopelessly friend-zoned.

"Come on, Naruto-kun! Before lunch is over!" Ino insisted, pulling at his arm incessantly. When she successfully dragged Naruto out the door, despite his protests, she kicked it with a slam, leaving Hinata alone. She was still sitting in bed with the sheet pooling in her lap as she stared at the door. Her smile slowly dropped to reveal her true emotions. The happy face of Ino hanging on Naruto was still on the forefront of her mind, fresh in her memory. _Someday... Will I be able to be happy like that, someday? Even with a boyfriend...?_

She already knew the answer to that question, of course. She had spent endless nights coming to terms with the fact that she would never be able to have the things normal girls had, though that didn't make it hurt any less.

"Why did it have to be me...?" She whispered to herself, covering her face with her hands.

* * *

A/N: I do not own the characters of "Naruto", nor do I own the plot of "Bitter Virgin" (though I have made changes and will be making more later on).

I must confess, I feel extremely guilty for making Ino such a psycho in this story. Truth be told, I really like Ino. I used to dislike her, but over time she stopped being annoying and she grew on me. Personally, I adore InoCho, but this story calls for a psychotic female antagonist and Ino just seemed to fit. True, I could use Karin, but it just makes more sense to use the Konoha characters, you know? Not that I have anything against Karin (I used to dislike her as well, but I've grown to like SuiKa). Anyway, enough of my rambling. Long story short, I'm sorry to all the Ino fans out there! I'll make it up to you someday by writing a cute InoCho story (or YamaIno. That pairing is seriously underrated.)

Note: this story is rated M for later chapters. I'll put a warning for the chapter where things start to get graphic.

Also, I will be changing things/already have changed things in this story. I have started planting the seeds of a very major event that will take place in this story that did not happen in "Bitter Virgin", though you may not have noticed. I apologize for the slow progression, but there will be some major changes, I can promise you that. This is only the beginning!

SO MANY REVIEWS! This is the most I've gotten with only four chapters, and I am absolutely ecstatic! You guys are the best, and I love you all! Shout outs to the following: devilzxknight86, yazhe-chan, lemonist, CandyMari, Hinata-Hime-Starz, neoB, dantheman23, Rose Tiger, basketballgirl1185, DerelicV, CharNinja LOL, NaruHinaAlwaysAndForever, Asuka Kawashima, K L STORMZ, nakashima0518, jojo07, Streema, BubbleWarrior32, and Forever-a-Guest! Good God, there's so many of you it's getting difficult to do shout outs! Not that I'm complaining. ;)


	6. That Distant Girl

**~*Chapter Six: That Distant Girl*~  
**

_Hearts that beat under a flag of pain, unite and salute.  
_

* * *

(A/N: Warning for slight rape scene. If you do not want to read it, skip to where the text is no longer italicized.)

_"Hinata, this is Jikochū-san." Introduced Hinake, her mother. A fourteen year old Hinata timidly looked from her mother to the strange newcomer in the doorway, whom she had heard was her new 'stepfather'. _

_"It's nice to meet you, Hinata-chan." He smiled at her gently, revealing slightly crooked teeth, and held out his hand in greeting, waiting for her to take it. Hinata felt her brow crease in confusion... She was struck with an odd sense of déjà vu. Had she been in this position before? Despite her hesitation, their faces did not falter. His face was stuck in an expression of friendly patience, though he seemed to radiate something that made her uncomfortable. Her mother looked at her expectantly. Hinata blinked and swallowed her unease before raising her hand. The moment her fingers brushed against the man's rough, coarse, hauntingly_ familiar_ ones, she flinched back in horrific realization as memory came back to her. Abuse, rape, pregnancy, abortion... Abuse, rape, pregnancy, birth... Every interminable moment of pain and utter defilement came rushing back, and she almost doubled over with nausea.  
_

_"What's wrong, Hinata-chan?" He leered, words dripping with pretentious concern that made her shiver with unbridled fear. She turned to run in the first direction that presented itself- any route was fine as long as it was away from_ him_- when the hand that was previously held out to be shaken shot out and gripped her hair in a tight fist, tugging her back mercilessly. _

_"Where do you think you're going, Hinata-chan?" He panted in her ear, his hot, sickeningly sweet breath assaulting her senses. Hinata winced in pain, body taut to flee, but she was successfully apprehended. A pained whimper of protest left her lips despite her restraint, and she heard him groan lustfully from behind at the sound. Her eyes widened in horror as he pressed himself against her squirming form, the large bulge in his pants pressing against the back of her thigh. Hinata's terror-filled gaze met her mother's, who seemed unfazed by the situation at hand._

_"Mom! Help me!" Hinata cried desperately, but her mother's lip curled with disgust as she turned her back on her. Hinata opened her mouth to call out to her again when her voice was muffled by __Jikochū's rugged hand.  
_

_"Let's be good friends, Hinata-chan..." Without further preamble, she was pushed forward. Hinata stumbled to get away, only to trip over her own feet, as he quickly fell atop her form. She struggled to escape, despite being face down in the ground, but his weight held her down tightly from behind. She gave a muffled scream as he tore her panties off viciously and shoved them in her mouth to keep her silent. Hinata coughed and sputtered but the fabric remained, and her hands were held tightly above her head in an iron grip. Tears blurred her vision as she shut her eyes tightly in an attempt to ignore the feeling of him unbuckling his pants, shoving them down to his knees hastily, before pushing her legs wide open with his free hand. Hinata gave one final scream, hoping to God that someone- _anyone_- would hear, as he pushed himself forward inside her-_

Hinata woke up that morning to the sound of her own scream. She shot up from her futon, her throat painfully raw from her outburst, as tears coursed down her face. Her hair and pajamas clung to the perspiration on her skin, sweat beading on her brow. She blinked a few times to clear away the haze that the nightmare had brought and took a few deep breaths to calm herself. At the realization that she was now awake and no longer exposed to the torture of the nightmare, she openly cried in relief and left over terror. She brought her trembling hands up and ran them through her hair to calm herself further, too preoccupied to wince at the tangles.

She wasn't sure how long she simply sat in bed, her mind blank. It felt like an eternity- or maybe only a few minutes- when her alarm went off, and Hinata instinctively reached over to shut it off. She stood and mechanically made her way to the small bathroom in her cramped apartment. Hinata reached out and grabbed her tooth brush and put a dollop of paste on the bristles, bringing it up to her mouth to clean her teeth. _Hinata, this is __Jikochū-san. It's nice to meet you, Hinata-chan. Let's be good friends, Hinata-chan. Hinata..._

She coughed and sputtered as the tooth paste was spat out into the sink, and Hinata gripped the counter painfully. Wiping her mouth with her sleeve, she stared at her reflection and flinched at the expression there... But there were no fiends like _him_ at her school. Nobody looked at her or bothered her, not like that, even if they looked or sounded like _him_. There weren't any boys that had interest in her- and that was all Hinata could ever ask for.

* * *

"Oof!" Naruto grunted as Ino glomped him, holding his arm in an iron grip. She smiled sweetly up at him despite the predatory gleam in her eyes, and he repressed a shudder. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because, Naruto-kun! We're already seen as an official couple!" Naruto resisted the urge to groan in exasperation. Each and every morning that whole week, Ino had showed up at his house in the morning to walk with him to school. He had tried to subtly and politely push her off, but it was all in vain.

"Good morning, Uzumaki-kun." Came a soft voice from Naruto's left, and the blonde turned to face her.

"Good morning, Hinata!" He greeted enthusiastically with a grin. Ino scowled and tightened her hold on his arm, cutting off the circulation and making him squirm.

"How nice; you two are so close. I'm envious." Hinata said with a smile, and Naruto felt his shoulders slump in defeat. _She has no feelings at all._

"Go on, Hinata." Ino urged with a phony smile, slightly irked at the other girl's appearance. How dare she come and impose on her and Naruto-kun's private time! Naruto wanted to make her stay but couldn't find the words. Instead, he watched her back as she proceeded to go on without them. _I may not be a love interest for her, but I'm probably the only one that she doesn't fear. Although she feels so distant, I may be the closest one to her... _

It wasn't long until they arrived at the school, and Ino still hadn't let go of his arm for even a second.

"Er... I have to uh, go to the bathroom." Naruto supplied, and Ino pouted in response. He tugged his arm back quickly before she could latch on again and headed to the boys' bathroom. Upon entering the room, he sighed in relief as the door shut behind him.

"So you finally hooked up with Ino, eh?" A familiar voice inquired, and Naruto looked over to see Kiba washing his hands at the sink.

"More like I got hooked by her..." Naruto grumbled with a scowl, and Kiba chuckled. The brunette walked up and quickly peeked out the door.

"Well, it looks like she's gone now. Quick! Out, before she comes back!" Kiba exclaimed with comical urgency, and he tugged the blonde along to the classroom. They ducked into the doorway, only for Naruto to be tackled from the side by a flash of platinum. Ino had successfully latched herself to his side once more.

"Mission failure..." Kiba let out, escaping while he could and fleeing to his desk. He threw Naruto a sympathetic glance; the blonde was not amused. Naruto sighed and looked around the room for a his classmate with the opalescent eyes. She was conversing with the girl known as Tenten, a small smile gracing her lips though it didn't meet her eyes. She seemed more haunted than usual that day, much to Naruto's dismay. It wasn't like she was hurt, he mused, but rather she was... Broken.

He was caught off guard when her gaze met his own, lingering one. Her smile grew and he felt a hot flush creep across his face before looking away; this did not go unnoticed by Ino. Hinata didn't see the glare thrown her way by the jealous blonde.

Hinata remained oblivious to the two cerulean gazes on her form through out the rest of the day; one full of curiosity and longing, the other full of suspicion and anger.

* * *

"Sakura, have you seen Naruto-kun?" Ino asked after the bell had chimed, announcing the end of the day. Sakura sat at her desk rifling through various papers, her presidential duties long from over.

"You're always looking for Naruto, aren't you?" She grumbled without looking up from the paperwork. Ino huffed irritably.

"I just asked if you knew where he is!" She insisted, and Sakura sat back in her chair with a contemplative look on her face.

"He probably went home already. He has work after school." The pinkette replied smoothly, covering for Naruto. He so owed her big for this one.

"Oh..." Ino let out dejectedly, and Sakura felt slight pity for the other girl. She could sympathize with her, after all. To love someone with your whole heart, and never be loved in return... Sakura swallowed and focused on the paperwork ahead of her. This was not the place nor the time for such thoughts.

Meanwhile, Naruto was once again hiding out in the boys' bathroom.

"I wonder if Ino has gone home yet..." He murmured to himself, watching the clock tick on the wall. It had been nearly twenty minutes since school had ended and Naruto had been thinking over what he should do. With Ino at his side, he could be around Hinata and get closer without her worrying... But how would anything really develop like that?

He cautiously peeked out the door, and once the coast was clear, he stepped out to retrieve his belongings. Naruto slung his bag over his shoulder and was prepared to leave when the door opened in front of him. He half suspected Ino to come barging in, but instead he was met with opalescent eyes instead of cerulean ones.

"Hinata? What are you still doing here?" He wondered aloud.

"I had to finish some homework before I left, but I'm done with it now." She answered. Hinata looked behind him and around. "Where's Ino-chan?" Naruto resisted the urge to sulk.

"She and I aren't really..."

"Your feelings aren't mutual?" Hinata inquired, and Naruto stared into her eyes in search of something.

"The girl I really like would never... I mean..." He stammered nervously. _What the hell am I doing?!_

"You don't like Ino-chan, but you're still together with her?"

"I mean, I don't know how I got into this situation!" Naruto blurted out. Hinata nodded slowly, and a look of pity descended upon her features.

"Poor Ino-chan..." She murmured. Naruto blinked in surprise. He had never considered Ino's feelings before, but now that Hinata mentioned it... "There's no way you can like Ino-chan?"

"No... I..."

"You two look really good together." Hinata insisted, each of her words stabbing him in the heart. _Enough, I can't do this... It hurts._

"...I'm going home." Naruto announced curtly before turning away.

"Wait! Let's go home together!" Hinata called out to him, and he halted in his tracks involuntarily. Oh, how he wished he could simply ignore his feelings for her... But that just wasn't possible. He nodded in compliance and left the room to wait at the bottom of the staircase. _Why am I waiting here? Am I some kind of idiot?! Even if we walk home together, we're so far apart its like we aren't even together._ Lost in his thoughts, Naruto didn't hear Hinata come around the corner.

"Sorry for the wait-" Both Hinata's and Naruto's eyes widened when she tripped, her feet leaving the ground beneath her. Naruto reached out instinctively to stabilize her, but he was only able to ensure her safety. In the midst of the commotion, he only barely registered the fact that their collision had resulted in...

Hinata stood shakily on her own two feet once more as her fingers traced her mouth; Naruto merely gaped. _Just now... Did our lips touch?_

* * *

A/N: I do not own the characters of "Naruto", nor do I own the plot of "Bitter Virgin" (though I have made changes and will be making more later on).

Sorry for the wait! This chapter is hot off the press, and I hope you like it. ;)

I couldn't find an appropriate "Naruto" character to put in for the villainous stepfather, so I made one up instead. Oh, and the name Jikochū roughly means "selfishness". Also, Kishimoto never states Hinata's mother's name. I imagine it would start with "Hina", and I almost put it down as Hinako! Ha, then I remembered that it was the main character in the original "Bitter Virgin". So I changed it to Hinake, and there you have it. ;)

SHOUT OUTS! **master1941**, **Rose Tiger**, **neoB**, **ZodiacBirdy**, **devilzxknight86**, **jojo07**, **littlemissnovelist**, **RamenLoverNaruto**, **blacques****ironrain**, **yazhe-chan**, **The Crimson Lotus King**, **InuKag4everbabe**, **dantheman23**, **anzuka16**, **Gamakage**, and **LilacWhite**. If it was legal, I would marry you all! ;D


	7. That Close Girl

**~*Chapter Seven: That Close Girl*~**

_So close, yet so far.  
_

* * *

"Sorry for the wait-" Both Hinata's and Naruto's eyes widened when she tripped, her feet leaving the ground beneath her. Naruto reached out instinctively to stabilize her, but he was only able to ensure her safety. In the midst of the commotion, he only barely registered the fact that their collision had resulted in...

Hinata stood shakily on her own two feet once more as her fingers traced her mouth; Naruto merely gaped. _Just now... Did our lips touch?_

"Did our lips-" Hinata started with uncertainty, only to be interrupted by the blonde.

"It was your imagination!" He insisted, when, as if on cue, blood trickled down his lip.

"Oh no, my tooth cut you..." Hinata said with genuine concern, but he was too preoccupied with his thoughts to notice. She took a step toward him but stopped in her tracks when she noticed his face was bright red, so much so that you almost couldn't distinguish the blood down his chin from the rest of him. Before she could say another word he turned on his heel and ran away, leaving her behind.

"Uzumaki-kun!" she called, but he was gone.

Meanwhile, in the boy's bathroom, Naruto was having a silent panic attack in front of the mirror. He wet a paper towel and cleaned his face off and held it over the wound to stop the bleeding, however diminutive the amount, while his mind was in overdrive. _I can't believe this... It wasn't a delusion, there's no doubt about that._ He thought while pulling the paper towel away to inspect the small cut. _Hyūga Hinata's lips touched mine...!_ He blinked thoughtfully before slowly tracing his lip with his tongue, as if he could still feel her there, then slapped his hands over his face in horror. _I'm such a weirdo! _

He wondered what Hinata was doing, belatedly realizing that he had left her in the dust. What was she thinking right now? Was she angry? Did she... Hate him? His chest hurt at the thought and he rubbed the spot absently. _For her lips to touch mine, when she's afraid of men... _He remembered her cheerful expression when she told him that he was her one and only, best male friend, and flinched. _There's no way I could look her in the eye again..._

When he left the boy's room he was relieved to find that Hinata had already left without him. He sighed quietly, both appeased yet distraught as he made his way home in a daze. When he got home he only spent an hour or two working at the restaurant since it wasn't busy before finishing his homework. Tsunade called him down shortly after for dinner, and though he appeared to be normal he was really a potent mix of distress, worry, and anxiety.

"What an awful child. Look how much you didn't eat," Tsunade chastised, and Naruto blinked down at his plate.

"Sorry Baa-chan, I'm just not that hungry." He mumbled, pushing his plate away. Her eyes narrowed as she inspected him.

"Your lip is cut. Did somebody hit you?" She inquired, pointing to the wound.

"N-no! That's not it!" He insisted as his hand covered the spot.

"A fight, eh? Did you lose?" She teased when he stood abruptly to flee to his room.

"Hey! It takes two to tango, so you better apologize too!" Tsunade called, and her words stuck in his mind. _That's right,_ he thought as he wrapped his hands and fingers up with white gauze. After doing some preliminary stretches as a warm up he began ruthlessly pounding on the punching bag, taking out his frustrations on it.

"I have to apologize. She may not listen... She may cry and hit me..." He dealt a swift uppercut at that thought to somehow cancel out the pain he felt- it didn't work, though it was a good distraction.

"No, she wouldn't do that because it'd involve actually _touching_ me_." _He laughed humorlessly at the bitterness, though the agony seemed to take his breath away.

"I bet when our eyes meet at school tomorrow the hatred she has for me will be obvious." Naruto sent a particularly hard jab at the punching bag with this in mind and lost his balance, barely catching himself in time as he sprawled out on the floor. His breath came out in quick pants as he lied on his back, sweat sticking to his frame.

"To make matters worse, I really do have to apologize properly." He murmured to himself. After a few quiet moments of consideration to catch his breath, he picked himself off the floor and made his way to the bathroom to take a quick shower before bed. After the rinse he dressed in a tee shirt and athletic shorts only to collapse onto his futon with his arms behind his head. His eyes landed on the CD on his end table and he swallowed tightly. _What should I do... What would you do, teme?_

* * *

It was becoming a regular thing, Naruto realized. Whenever he needed to seek out Hinata, he just couldn't approach her. Once he found her, he just couldn't open his mouth to speak to her. All in all, it was an infuriating process. He found himself standing a short distance away from the girl while she was at her locker. When she turned around she blinked at the sight of him.

"Uzu-" Her words were cut off when he pivoted on his heel abruptly and marched away, leaving her behind in confusion. _Next time,_ Naruto swore to himself. _Next time I see her, I'll apologize._

Next time came around all too soon for Naruto as he stood in the classroom, Hinata watching him expectantly. He swallowed tightly as a flush spread across his features.

"Uzumaki-kun?" At the sound of his name, he fled involuntarily. He briefly wondered if this was what Hinata felt like, constantly fleeing. What he did not notice, however, was the determined look in her eyes as she took after him down the hall. Chasing him around a corner, she cornered him.

"There you are, Uzumaki-kun! I- oh..." her words failed her when she realized she had mistaken another boy for Naruto. Stammering an apology, she wandered the hallways in search of the blonde.

"Hey, Naruto!" she heard Kiba calling, followed by an insistent "Shhh!". She peeked around the corner to see Kiba looking down at the window, and a familiar blonde head underneath the sill on the other side. She quietly sneaked up and poked him on the shoulder, and when he turned a lazy gaze to her he froze when recognition set in. He hurriedly got to his feet but right when he was about to flee he felt a tug on his sleeve. Naruto looked back to see Hinata clinging to his jacket.

"Got you- eh? Uzumaki-kun!" she stared at him in disbelief as he shrugged the coat off before making his escape.

"Shoot..." Hinata murmured to herself, folding the jacket carefully over her arm with a sigh. Why was Uzumaki-kun acting so strangely? She hadn't the faintest idea.

"Hey," snapped an irritated voice from behind, and Hinata blinked in surprise at the animosity sent her way. She turned to see Ino with her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes narrowed in a glare.

"Ino-chan?"

"We need to talk. Now." The blonde didn't wait for her to reply and instead grabbed the other girl by the arm before dragging her to the girl's bathroom. Once inside, she pushed Hinata away.

"What do you think you're doing, chasing around another girl's boyfriend?" She demanded angrily.

"I only wanted to apologize for something." Hinata explained civilly, but Ino was having none of it.

"Fine! I'll tell him for you, so just stay away!" The blonde demanded, her acrylic nails biting into the flesh of her palms as she made a fist.

"I'm sorry, but I think something like this should be done by the person who is involved. Otherwise, there is no point..." Hinata let out. Her words only enraged the blonde further. In a wave of overwhelming jealousy, Ino raised her fist up and Hinata flinched as it came nearer-

"She's absolutely right." Came a familiar voice, and Ino stopped dead in her tracks. She whipped her head around to see Sakura standing in the doorway. The pinkette walked up to them, purposely standing where Ino's hit would have landed on Hinata.

"Sakura..." Ino murmured in disbelief.

"You can't properly convey things like 'I'm sorry' or 'thank you' through a third party. Let's go, Hinata-chan." Sakura said, steering the other girl out the door with a hand on her shoulder. She turned her head and gave Ino a warning glance, and the blonde looked away quickly to avoid the piercing green gaze.

At the end of the day, Naruto was off sulking under the staircase outside. He ran his hands through his hair, his elbows placed on his bent knees as he leaned his back against the wall. _What the hell am I doing?_ Naruto jumped when he heard the scraping of feet on the pavement but didn't have time to run. He braced himself, then relaxed when he saw a familiar pink haired girl come around the corner.

"Oi, Naruto," she acknowledged, and Naruto sighed in relief.

"Oh, it's just Sakura. Do you need something?"

"I'm not the one who needs something from you," she said as she looked back around the corner. When Hinata stepped forward Naruto just about had a heart attack. "Hinata-chan does." Sakura finished proudly with her hands on her hips.

"Your jacket..."

"I'M SORRY!" Naruto nearly shouted, going from a sitting position into a low bow on the ground. Sakura and Hinata gaped at the gesture. "I'M REALLY SORRY!"

"Why are you apologizing? I was the one who hurt you..." Hinata claimed, and Sakura blinked in confusion.

"What's going on here?" The pink haired girl inquired.

"I bumped into Uzumaki-kun when I lost my footing on the stairs." Hinata explained, and Naruto froze upon hearing her words. _That's... That's all? That's what she thought it was? But... Our lips..._ _Whe__n we collided, it was mouth to mouth._

"My tooth hurts a bit..." Hinata added, her finger on her lip.

"Well, good thing it wasn't chipped." Sakura nodded.

"Yup!" Hinata smiled, while Naruto remained speechless on the ground still. Hinata knelt in front of him, their knees barely brushing against each others'.

"I really am sorry." She said solemnly, and Naruto looked away.

"It's fine. I'm okay." He insisted, still not meeting her gaze.

"Uzumaki-kun?"

"Yes?"

"Why won't you look at me? Are you angry?" Hinata asked with concern, and Naruto nearly flinched at her hurt tone... But he still couldn't look her in the eye.

"No, I'm not angry," he insisted, though he still wouldn't look her way. Naruto's eyes widened as he felt warm hands on either side of his face, pulling him forward. When he came face to face with Hinata, who was only a few mere inches away, his face turned beet red. As she leaned in closely he thought for sure that he would hyperventilate, their noses almost touching.

"It really is cut..." she murmured, inspecting the wound up close. As Naruto felt her warm breath on his face, he wondered what she would do if he leaned forward just a little bit more. What would she do if he closed the distance between them to kiss her? He bit his lip and resisted the temptation.

"I-I'm not mad, so you can let me go now..." He laughed awkwardly, pulling himself out of her grasp before he did something he'd regret later. "Er, thanks for the jacket! Bye!" And with that, he was gone once again.

"Were you talking about the cut by his lip?" Sakura asked, and Hinata nodded. The pinkette pursed her lips thoughtfully. _They collided, her upper tooth hurts, and his bottom lip is cut. This means that she must have been on the top stair and he on the bottom when she lost her footing, so she had the leverage to come in contact with his lower lip even though he's taller than her._ Sakura blinked in realization. _This means... _

Hinata stared at the spot Naruto had previously occupied, wrapped up in her own thoughts. _Oppressive, controlling, selfish, cunning; I've known nothing but these kinds of men. But Uzumaki-kun... I've never met a boy like him._ She swore she could still feel his warm, flushed face in her hands, slightly quivering. The thought brought a smile to her face and a pleasant feeling spread through her chest.

"Hinata-chan, do you want to go home together?" Sakura asked amiably, and Hinata blinked in surprise before nodding. She turned back to her locker.

"Yes! I just need to get my-" Hinata covered her mouth with a hand at the sight that awaited her, and Sakura peeked inside before gasping. Within the locker was a pair of shoes, torn up with a razor blade and covered with filth.

* * *

A/N: I do not own the characters of "Naruto", nor do I own the plot of "Bitter Virgin" (though I have made changes and will be making more later on).

Sorry for the long wait! I've been busy with school lately, but I only have three weeks left! Then I'm a senior! To be honest, I'm more scared than excited about moving out. I expect the experience to be quite terrifying, but at least I'll be in a dorm instead of completely on my own. Regardless, I'm probably going to have a panic attack next year, haha... No, really. xI

Shout outs to my lovelies! **DerelictV**, **jojo07**, **thestorymaker2**, **Gamakage**, **ZodiacBirdy**, **anzuka16**, **TucyaGirl**, **LilacWhite**, **Asuka ****Kawashima**, **InuKag4e****verbabe**, **dantheman23**, **Neob**, **Beast1998**, **paige'szinger97**, and **Chewie Cookies**! Your encouragement is what keeps me writing! ;)

Obviously we are all NaruHina fans here (though I think other Hina pairings are tolerable, like KibaHina). Is it true that most NaruHina fans bash Sakura? Because I really like Sakura. I usually write about her, actually. This is my first NaruHina. If you don't hate Sakura, then do you like SasuSaku as a pairing? Personally, I like all kinds of Sakura pairings. For me it's a tie between GaaSaku and SasuSaku, then KakaSaku, ItaSaku, DeiSaku, etc... I guess what I'm really asking is, do you, as a NaruHina fan, like SasuSaku? Forgive my prying, I'm just curious since I have a new SasuSaku up my sleeve for the future.

See ya next update! ;3


	8. Her Traces

**~*Chapter Eight: Her Traces*~**

_Hurts so good.  
_

* * *

"Hinata-chan, do you want to go home together?" Sakura asked amiably, and Hinata blinked in surprise before nodding. She turned back to her locker.

"Yes! I just need to get my-" Hinata covered her mouth with a hand at the sight that awaited her, and Sakura peeked inside before gasping. Within the locker was a pair of shoes, torn up with a razor blade and covered with filth.

"What the... This is..." Sakura stammered, but Hinata didn't speak and instead fingered what remained of the leather soles.

"Ino did this, didn't she?" This caught Hinata's attention.

"Ino-chan?" She murmured in surprise, looking up at Sakura.

"Maybe she knows that you and Naruto kissed." The pinkette offered, only to falter at the look of utter confusion that dawned on the other girl's features.

"What are you talking about?" Hinata inquired, her brows creasing.

"Well, it's like this." Sakura explained. "Your tooth cut his lip, meaning your mouths touched... Isn't that a kiss?" Hinata stilled at once, her movements ceasing.

"No... It didn't feel terrible the way a kiss does." Hinata replied stiffly, features solemn. Sakura was taken by surprise from the sudden change in atmosphere.

"So it wasn't your first kiss! Well, that's good... What kind of guy was it?" Hinata's eyes widened at the question as memories from long past came back and hit her at full force.

_A large callused hand reached out for her roughly, pulling her towards him. _

_"Hinata-chan..." Her chin was gripped tightly, fingers digging into her skin painfully, as his mouth descended down upon hers. Hinata's poor attempt to pull away was futile as he held her tightly, his grip like iron. Tears gathered in her eyes as she pressed her lips in a firm, unrelenting line to deny him access. When he finally pulled away she gasped, coughing on the fresh air in her lungs. _

_"Open your mouth for me." Her eyes widened in horror, her jaw clenched tightly shut, and he squeezed her shoulders until she cried out. Taking advantage of her pain, he swept down upon her once more. Hinata flinched, resisting the gag that tickled the back of her throat at the taste of him; dirty, old cigarettes and stinking alcohol clouded her senses-_

"Are you okay?" Sakura's worried voice snapped Hinata out of her reverie. She looked down and noticed that she had hunched over herself, breathing hard and heart heavy. Hinata clenched her hands into fists at her sides to hide her trembling fingers.

"I-I'm fine." Hinata assured, inwardly cursing herself for stammering. Her lips turned up in a smile, but Sakura continued to frown as she scrutinized the other girl.

"Well, whatever happened between you and Naruto... You should keep away from Ino. A woman in love is a scary thing." Sakura finally advised.

"I'm not afraid." Hinata replied swiftly without missing a beat. The pinkette looked at her curiously as Hinata stood, gathering her ruined shoes before shutting her locker firmly. _I'm not afraid of anyone who isn't a man._

Meanwhile, in the girl's bathroom, Ino was deliberating as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. She saw the looks that that Hinata girl had been giving her Naruto-kun and it practically killed her inside to think that someone wanted to take him away from her. Ino had tried to ignore it at first, knowing that Naruto-kun was a popular guy to begin with. Other girls being attracted to him was inevitable, despite his relationship status... But Hinata had persisted anyway, much to her dismay. The seemingly "innocent" glances here and there, and her playing the role as the sweet little virgin... It _sickened_ her. As if Naruto-kun would lower himself to that standard! He wasn't stupid enough to fall for that act... Right? No, of course not. Naruto-kun would not betray her- _never_ betray _her_.

But that did not mean that Hinata wasn't a problem... Ino had to protect what was hers, and if she let this slide it would be as if she condoned other girls going after her Naruto-kun. No, she had to nip this in the bud. She had to end it and soon, before it got out of hand.

Ino idly spun a pair of scissors around her fingers, deliberating about what to do next. Picking off a piece of stray leather from the blades, she decided that if the shoe-scare tactic didn't work, she would have to try a more... Assertive course of action. Plotting for her next move, Ino pocketed the scissors as the door opened to reveal some other girls from her class.

"Ino-chan?" One girl called out, and the blonde turned her back to them before they could see her face. She then closed her eyes, focusing on sad memories, particularly the one when she found out her grandmother had died... The tears came easily enough. Ino had always prided herself on being a good actress.

"Are you alright?"

"Ino-chan, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" The girls cooed with concern, flocking to her at once. Ino looked up at them through her wet lashes, folding in on herself to appear vulnerable. She sniveled, pretending to shake them off.

"N-nothing's wrong... Really..." She assured them with a smile, though she allowed more tears to fall. The girls did not look convinced.

"Aw, come on. Just tell us what happened. We'll help you!" They insisted, and Ino resisted the urge to smirk. They had fallen right into her carefully laid trap.

"Well... It's because of Hinata-chan..." Ino trailed off, the girls listening to her story intently.

* * *

Naruto tied his bandana firmly at the back of his neck before wrapping the apron around himself. Washing his hands, he glanced up at the mirror. The telltale cut on his lip made him flinch slightly at the memory. Hinata was supposed to be afraid of men, yet she touched him like that without trouble. Was there no significance in the fact that their mouths met? Did she not consider it to be... A kiss? He reached up and fingered the wound lightly. That cut was the only proof that it had ever happened- the only trace of her lips against his own...

"That's why I wish it would heal..." He murmured to himself quietly.

"Hey Naruto! Are you here?" Came a familiar voice from the other room. Naruto blinked, returning to the task at hand, and went to welcome whoever it was.

"Sakura," he greeted as the pinkette set some grocery bags on the counter.

"Here's the ingredients you asked for." She said, hopping up on one of the bar stools. Sakura watched him carefully, noting that his cut still wasn't healed. She had just walked Hinata home before remembering about the run to the store she had promised Naruto, and so there she was. She still couldn't believe Ino's audacity to destroy Hinata's things. The whole situation was like something out of some high school drama; in other words, surreal.

"Yikes, this manjū is barely ahead of the 'best before' date..." Naruto grumbled with a scowl, but Sakura paid it no heed.

"You need to get your act together, Naruto."

"Eh?" The blonde looked up in surprise at the sudden lecture. Sakura crossed her arms over her chest, looking at him disapprovingly.

"I told you what Ino is like. She's a total psycho behind your back." She explained with exasperation. While Naruto wasn't exactly stupid, he could be so oblivious that it immediately pissed her off. She took a deep breath to calm herself at the blonde's confused expression.

"What do you mean?" He asked, and Sakura felt the anger rise up in her. Could he really not see how he was leading Ino on, indirectly encouraging her to lash out at others? In this case it was Hinata, whom she thought Naruto cared for. Could he be any denser? Sakura spun in her chair, stepping off to head towards the door before she did something she would regret.

"Wait, Sakura! I don't understand!" Naruto called, and her small bit of patience snapped.

"Figure it out yourself for once!" She snapped back before slamming the door behind herself. Naruto gaped in response, completely taken by surprise. But Sakura had always had a temper, one that he always seemed to set off easily. He sighed and got back to work. _Women and their mood swings._

* * *

"Good afternoon, Uzumaki-kun." Hinata greeted the next day in class. The bell had just rung, signalling the start of lunch.

"G-good afternoon," he stammered but she didn't appear to notice, much to his relief.

"Be nice to Ino-chan!" She said before turning away, missing his look of total confusion. Her words stung and Naruto rubbed the cut on his lip absently. _Have a proper relationship with a proper girl... It would be great if I could do that,_ he inwardly grumbled. Once he noticed the ministrations on the wound he tore his hand away from it as if he had been burned, quickly looking around to see if anyone had seen. He sighed with ease when there was no one, then proceeded to get his lunch from his locker.

Hinata sat at her desk finishing up her homework, jotting down the last of the notes on the board.

"Hinata-chan, will you lend me your eraser?" A meek looking girl asked, and Hinata blinked in surprise. People rarely approached her because of her aloofness. She smiled kindly.

"Here you go," she replied, handing over the eraser. She picked up her pen and turned back to her notebook when another girl came up.

"May I borrow your notes?"

"Sure," Hinata said, surprised again. She passed over her notebook to the other girl and proceeded to pack up her things, deciding it was time for her to get her lunch before the next class started.

"Here's your stuff back."

"So soon?" Hinata inquired, but she halted when she looked back at her desk. The eraser was torn to bits, tossed haphazardly around while pages were torn out of her notebook and crumpled up. Hinata looked back up at the girls, who snickered at her expression.

"You think you can just hit on another girl's boyfriend like that?"

"Can't stand having boys not fawn over you?" The girls taunted, but Hinata didn't pay attention to them. Behind them, sitting at her desk oh so innocently, was Ino. The blonde slowly turned her head until their eyes met, then she smiled. There was nothing kind about the twist of her lips.

"Now wait just a minute! What the hell is going on-"

"It's okay, Sakura-chan." Hinata interrupted the class president, who was well on her way to giving one of her notorious lectures. Sakura whipped her head around to Hinata. "These kind of things don't bother me," she continued. _That's right. This isn't enough to make me cry._ Her eyes hardened slightly and she put a hand on her desk, pushing herself to her feet. Hinata calmly stood up and walked over until she stood right in front of Ino's desk. The blonde looked up at her suspiciously as Sakura watched in rapt attention, breath held.

"Did you need something?" Ino inquired dismissively, looking at her nails as if the girl in front of her wasn't important enough for her attention.

"I made sure to apologize to Uzumaki-kun..." Hinata started. A tense moment of silence passed before Hinata smiled sincerely. "That's all." Sakura was inwardly shocked by the act of maturity, and Ino nearly sputtered at the lack of reaction. With a huff the blonde hastily stood and ran for the door, bumping into Hinata's shoulder without care.

"Ino, where are you going?" Sakura asked. Perhaps she could turn this situation to her advantage. "If you're looking for Naruto, I know where he is."

* * *

Naruto was once again tracing his lip with his finger, deep in thought. He was torn between wanting the wound to heal so that he would no longer be reminded of the encounter and wanting it to scar so that it would be there forever. _Maybe I should take a picture before it heals..._ He mused absently.

"Stupid! It was just a kiss with a friend!" He chastised himself, rubbing his hands through his hair in exasperation. He sighed dejectedly, his shoulders slumping.

"Found you, Naruto-kun!" He nearly jumped out of his skin when Ino popped around the corner, coming face-to-face. She gasped at the sight of the cut.

"What happened to your lip?" She inquired with concern, and Naruto flushed.

"...It's nothing." He murmured, turning away from her prying eyes.

"Hey, why don't we go on a real date after school?" She offered. He hesitated.

"Ino... You should just forget about me." Naruto let out, hanging his head down. Ino's breath caught in her throat as her heart began to beat faster from worry.

"What do you mean... Then... Why did you do something like _that_?" She asked desperately, remembering the time he had so passionately embraced her before. If that wasn't proof that he had feelings for her, then Ino didn't know what was. It was then that Naruto finally turned to face her. The look of confusion on his face caused her heart to ache painfully.

"Did I do something?" He asked honestly, not knowing at all what she was referring to. Ino visibly flinched, hurt evident in her eyes. Naruto apologized halfheartedly, somewhat in a daze as he turned away again.

"I have too much to deal with right now, so you should give up on me. I'm sorry." He said without looking up.

"Look at me," Ino whispered. His gaze lifted barely, but didn't look at her.

"Look me in the eye!" She insisted frantically. Naruto's gaze slowly turned back down to his feet.

"Because if I don't give up now I'll regret it later, right?" She asked bitterly, but he did not respond. She bit her lip and blinked back the tears that threatened to spill forth. Why was he acting like this? Things had been going great before, and now it was falling apart! They walked home before and after school and everything, so why was he rejecting her? Why now? She had even tried to get that Hinata girl away to save their relationship... Then it dawned on her: _Hinata_.

She left abruptly, leaving Naruto behind. He looked up slowly after she was gone, surprised that she had taken it so well despite the fact that she had been hurt by men before in the past. Naruto was about to put his head back down when Sakura's voice rang in his ears. _She's a total psycho behind your back._ Naruto looked up again, a thoughtful frown on his face. Where had she gone...? _Figure it out yourself for once!_ His eyes widened in horror as he answered the question himself. Pushing himself to his feet quickly, he ran down the hallway.

"Kiba!" Naruto called, seeing his brunette friend by the stairs.

"Naruto? What is it?" Kiba asked, alarmed by the look on Naruto's face.

"Where is Ino?" He wasted no time in asking. Kiba pursed his lips in thought.

"Ino? She was headed towards the library looking for Hinata." The words had barely left his mouth when Naruto took off once again, leaving him behind in the dust. Kiba merely shrugged, turning back to his lunch.

Ino hurried down the hallway just as quickly, not knowing Naruto was in hot pursuit. Tightly gripping the scissors long forgotten in her skirt pocket, she rounded the corner and spotted a familiar indigo head not to far off. Running on a dangerously potent mixture of adrenaline, jealousy and hatred for the other girl, Ino raised the hand that held the blade as she came ever closer to Hinata's unknowing form.

* * *

A/N: I do not own the characters of "Naruto", nor do I own the plot of "Bitter Virgin" (though I have made changes and will be making more later on).

I apologize for the long wait! School is officially over- let summer commence! I aced all my finals (only had one B) and am pumped for next year- _senior_ year! Then I'll be off to college life. In other words, now that summer has started, I should have more time for writing. ;)

Kisses- I mean, _shout outs_- for my lovely reviewers~! **TucyaGirl**, **jojo07**, **CharNinja LOL**, **Fu****tago-za07**, **InuKag4everbabe**, **ZodiacBirdy**, **Shay14**, **DerelictV**, **thestorymaker2**, **LilacWhite**, **Gamakage**, **Kurose Sakurazaki**, **xXYour DoomXx**, **Minister Masket**, **Ristencia, ****SilverPebbbles**, **Guest**, and **Narubro!** This story wouldn't have reached over 100 reviews without all of you! I am so happy so many of you take the time to read this story. I wouldn't have made it this far without all of you. ;)

Also, someone asked if there would be a lemon in this story. I'm not against lemons, and I've written them before. I think a lemon scene in this story would show a lot of character development, but I wanted to ask the rest of you what you thought. Tell me your opinion!


	9. For Her

**~*Chapter Nine: For Her*~**

_I've always liked Naruto-kun but he never noticed me. No matter what, I had to become pretty. I had to make myself stand out... _

_Look at me. Take notice of me. This is how much I love you!_

* * *

"Ino? She was headed towards the library looking for Hinata." The words had barely left his mouth when Naruto took off once again, leaving him behind in the dust. Kiba merely shrugged, turning back to his lunch.

Ino hurried down the hallway just as quickly, not knowing Naruto was in hot pursuit. Tightly gripping the scissors long forgotten in her skirt pocket, she rounded the corner and spotted a familiar indigo head not to far off. Running on a dangerously potent mixture of adrenaline, jealousy and hatred for the other girl, Ino raised the hand that held the blade as she came ever closer to Hinata's unknowing form. _I was sure my feelings had gotten through to Naruto-kun, so why would he be looking at another woman...?!_

Before Ino could plunge the scissors down upon the unsuspecting girl, her hand was seized roughly and she was enveloped in a firm embrace. She looked up in surprise to see Naruto holding her tightly in his arms. She blinked, mouth agape, and the scissors dropped to the floor with a clatter. He dipped his head down to her ear.

"...Let's go home together, Ino." He insisted, and Ino could feel his heart hammering from inside his chest. Her eyes swelled up with tears and she blinked them away - he had come back to her! Ino's arms wrapped around him in a loving caress.

"Of course, Naruto-kun," she whispered back. At this point, Sakura and Hinata turned around to see what was going on. The pinkette eyed them suspiciously while Hinata remained confused, and when Naruto raised his head just a bit he met her opalescent gaze.

"Did you have business with Hinata?" Naruto asked Ino, though his eyes never strayed from the other girl's.

"No, not really... It's all okay now." Ino assured, pulling back from the embrace to hold his hand. She pulled him towards the entrance of the school and he dutifully followed without giving Hinata another glance.

"It's a little out of the way, but why don't we stop to eat?" Ino asked, beaming up at him. Naruto's smile was strained.

"Let's go tomorrow instead. I have to help Baa-chan out with the restaurant," he lied, faking disappointment. Ino pouted but didn't push the matter, much to his relief.

"Did you know this will be the first time we'll be on a date alone together?" Ino giggled.

"Oh?" He feigned ignorance, walking briskly to get home faster. She didn't notice.

"Yeah. We've only been on group dates, with Sakura around or Kiba." Ino informed with disdain.

"Is that so," he murmured rhetorically, and she hummed in approval. There was a moment of heavy silence before she spoke again.

"Did you think I was going to do something earlier?" Naruto stole a glance at the female at his side warily, paranoia creeping up on him. She had an odd sort of twisted smirk on her face, and it did nothing to ease his discomfort.

"Uh, no... Why? You _weren't_, were you?" He inquired carefully, and Ino shrugged.

"I'm not sure... I might have gone off the deep end due to your cold attitude," she warned, and Naruto bit the inside of his cheek to remain silent.

"Hehe... But this is merely hypothetical, because Naruto-kun will only look at me." She said with such finality, gazing up at him possessively. Her gaze was slightly threatening, as if daring him to disagree. He was eternally grateful that they had come to the intersection where they would part ways so he didn't have to comment on her earlier statement.

"I have to go this way now, but I'll see you tomorrow." Naruto said cheerfully with a large grin to hide his desperation. Ino smiled back before stepping up on the tips of her toes to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"Bye, bye!" She winked at him with a wave, and he watched her until she disappeared around the corner. Naruto waited a moment before breathing a sigh of relief, turning down the other road.

He all but ran home, slamming the restaurant door open before loudly kicking it shut.

"Hey, Naruto! Come down and help me with the shop!" Tsunade hollered as he ran up the stairs to his room.

"I'm training now, Baa-chan!" He yelled back just as loudly and she blinked in slight surprise before shrugging, getting back to work. Inside his room, Naruto was hastily changing out of his school uniform into a pair of shorts, sliding on some gloves. He whipped around and immediately started hammering on the suspended bag, punching it relentlessly as he thought. _There's no way in hell I'm staying in this little village! If I want to make it big in the city, I have to start training now... That's the only way to get away from Ino!_ He landed a particularly hard blow with this thought. He felt so cornered and caged with her around, and now she was dangerous towards others. It was driving him insane. But if he left..._ I won't be able to see Hinata. There's nothing I can do for her, and I don't think there's anything I can do to even make her smile..._ He breathed heavily from the harsh exercise, his body aching from the sudden stress. He ran his hands through his sweaty blonde locks with a dejected sigh.

* * *

The next day, Naruto waited at the school gates looking up at the morning sky. It was a pale blue with only a few clouds being pushed by the faint breeze. It was then that he finally understood what Shikamaru meant about wanting to be like a cloud - he, too, wished he could just float along without a care in the world. He looked back down when he heard footsteps coming near. He glanced to his right and was surprised to see Hinata. She perked up at the sight of him, a small smile on her face.

"Uzu-"

"Ino!" He greeted as the other girl came into view, interrupting a very confused Hinata. When Ino saw him she all but jumped into his arms with glee.

"Naruto-kun! You were waiting for me? I'm so happy!" She cooed, squeezing him in a tight hug that took his breath away. She couldn't hide her smirk as Hinata frowned.

"Let's go to class." He said, pulling her away into the building. Hinata followed belatedly, keeping a small bit of distance while she pondered the situation.

"Why is Ino getting so close to him?!" Some girls hissed once they were in the classroom. Hinata settled her things on her desk next to Sakura's.

"What do you think of them?" The pinkette asked. Hinata cocked her head curiously and Sakura nodded towards the blonde couple near the door.

"They seem to be getting along well," she said with a small smile.

"Yeah, you're right..." Sakura murmured thoughtfully. Her eyes narrowed with a scowl. "It_ really_ pisses me off."

"Eh? Why?" Hinata asked, baffled by Sakura's sudden anger.

"Naruto is constantly rubbing the back of his neck. He does that when he's really uncomfortable." Sakura informed, and Hinata looked over to see Naruto doing just that.

"You know Uzumaki-kun pretty well, Sakura-chan." She said, and the pinkette nodded.

"Well, we are neighbors. We grew up together, so we're almost like siblings. After his parents died, the three of us became great friends..." Sakura stopped abruptly, her lips pursed firmly.

"Three...?" Hinata inquired, watching the class president curiously. Sakura nodded stiffly and took a deep breath, her eyes never leaving Naruto's form. When Ino walked away to talk to a group of other girls the boy jumped out the window, sitting underneath in on the ground to hide.

"I'm going to go check on him," Sakura said before making her way over, dodging Hinata's prying questions.

"What are you doing down here? Your beloved Ino is over there, you know." Naruto almost jumped at the voice, and he tilted his head back to see Sakura leaning out the window looking down at him. From his perspective, she looked upside down.

"Hey, Sakura," he greeted, relieved. Sakura eyed him and he cocked a brow in question.

"Do you really like Ino that much?" She finally asked, and Naruto whipped around to face her.

"No! But if I don't stay close to her, then she might _do_ something!" He informed urgently but quietly.

"To Hinata-chan, you mean." Sakura drawled, and Naruto sputtered.

"How did you know?"

"Ino has been harassing her for weeks now." Sakura stated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Naruto gaped in response. _She's already started being crazy..._

"I guess she noticed all the attention you've been giving Hinata-chan recently." She hinted not-so subtly, and Naruto's eyes narrowed in thought. _That's probably right, but... Does that mean this is all _my _fault?_

"But don't worry," Sakura waved off, "Hyūga Hinata is a lot stronger than you think-"

"She is not strong!" Naruto insisted, and the air grew tense from his sudden outburst. Sakura stared at him with an unreadable look.

"Naruto..."

"Ah, I mean... Everyone has their weaknesses." He offered lamely. He could tell Sakura didn't buy it, but was thankful that she didn't press the issue... But the tense atmosphere didn't go away.

"That's right... Everyone has their weaknesses..." She repeated in a distracted murmur, looking at the ground. She had a small smile on her face, but there was nothing happy about it. It was a familiar expression, one that he recognized whenever her thoughts turned to a certain someone...

"Let's go back to class, Sakura-chan," he said gently, and she looked up in surprise from the old, affectionate name he used to call her when they were children. He gave her a big grin and she smiled in response.

"Thanks, Naruto." She offered him a hand to pull him off the ground, which he took before jumping back through the window. Then-

"Naruto-kun! Where did you run off to?" Ino demanded, appearing out of no where. Sakura made herself scarce, not wanting to be part of the drama.

"Uh, I was just in the bathroom..."

"Liar! You were not in the bathroom!" She accused, and he took an involuntary step back. _Did she look for me in the bathroom?!_ She softened after a moment, curling herself to his side and gripping his arm.

"Don't worry me..." She murmured, and Naruto averted his gaze. When opalescent eyes looked into his own from across the room, he felt his chest ache painfully. He closed his eyes tightly shut then, turning his head away.

"Let's go, Ino." He said, steering her away. _I can't look. I can't chase Hinata with my eyes any longer. It's safer that way..._ He left the room without another glance in her direction.

"Uzumaki-kun..." Hinata said to herself, a hand to her chest. She wondered why he was acting so strangely all of a sudden. He wasn't even speaking to her, and she briefly wondered if she had done something wrong... _This isn't a big deal. Just making eye contact with Uzumaki-kun... Just eye contact is fine. Just a smile..._

"What's wrong, Hinata-chan?" Tenten asked with concern, and Hinata looked back at the brunette.

"Eh?"

"Worried about Naruto?"

"Oh, nothing, Tenten-chan." She assured, but the other girl stared in the direction she was looking in previously.

"If you want to steal him away, I'll help! All is fair in love and war!" Tenten cheered, and Hinata flushed.

"N-no! That's not it!" Hinata insisted, and Tenten laughed heartily. The younger girl smiled sadly. _All is fair in love and war... Love... The way I am now, I can't fall in love. I'm still too afraid of men. Besides, I know nothing about love... I don't even know what love_ _is._

* * *

A/N: I do not own the characters of "Naruto", nor do I own the plot of "Bitter Virgin" (though I have made changes and will be making more later on).

I'm really sorry for the wait! I've been busy with summer classes and volunteering at the food bank, and I've been scrambling to update all my stories recently. I've also been sucked into Deathnote fanfics, hehe. There are some intriguing MisaxL fics out there. Anyway.

Shout out time~! I give a HUGE thanks to: **jojo07**, **ZodiacBirdy**, **MusicIsMyLife6789**,** DerelictV**, **EveJ Hina**, **Naara-no-temari**, **Delicatelyplaced**, **NaruHinaFreak27**, **Gamakage**, **Guest**, **InuKag4****everbabe**, **Futago-za07**, **LilacWhite**, **TucyaGirl**, **Narubro**, **xXYour** **DoomXx**, **areallnamestaken232**, **devil1**, **Br****ian**, **CharNinja LOL**, **dantheman23**, **puppyl****uv513**, **J and Company**, **deathgod**, **Guest**, **shybluestone**, **Hinata-Hime-Starz**, **Jula****Shona**, **randomperson28**, and **Toybunni**! Wow, there are so many of you. It takes me about five solid minutes to write all your names out! Not that I'm complaining. ;) I'm sorry if I forgot anyone! I feel bad when I do that. xI


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